Gene Simmons was front man and bassist in the popular rock band Kiss. He is an ardent supporter of Israel. He was born as Chaim Witz in Tirat Carmel, near Haifa, in 1950. His mother Flora was a Holocaust survivor. In 1960, Flora and her son moved to Jackson Heights in Queens New York.
After an illustrious career in music, as well as a reality TV show, Simmons returned to Israel in 2011. Kiss performed in Israel for the first time in September 2014.