Gene Simmons is a musician, singer/songwriter, actor, and television personality who is famous as a founding member of Kiss. After teaming up with Paul Stanley and forming Kiss in the 1970s, he and the band rose to attention for their signature costumes and makeup, ultimately becoming one of the most renowned and celebrated hard rock groups in the history of the genre. Simmons eventually released his eponymous debut solo album in 1978, surprising fans and critics with a sonic aesthetic full of string arrangements, choirs, and a 1970s-pop foundation. As he continued to play with Kiss, he went on to appear in various television shows such as Ugly Betty and films like 1987's Wanted: Dead or Alive. Simmons dropped a second solo record, titled Asshole, in 2004.
