Frank Schwichtenberg · CC BY-SA 4.0

Born Chaim Witz in Israel, Gene Simmons co-founded Kiss in 1973 and spent five decades as its bassist and co-lead singer, building the band's theatrical stage persona around fire-breathing and his own extended tongue. He remained a constant presence through Kiss's many lineup changes until its 2023 dissolution, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.