Gene Simmons Praises America as Legal Immigrant Success Story

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) — KISS co-founder and rock icon Gene Simmons credited the United States on Sunday for giving a first-generation legal immigrant the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, highlighting his journey from an Israeli-born son of a Holocaust survivor to international music and business stardom.

“I am the proud son of a concentration camp survivor,” Simmons said in a widely shared video statement. “This ain’t about me, my friend. I’ve done very well, because America gave a first-generation legal immigrant the chance to do well.”

Born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, in 1949, Simmons immigrated to the United States with his mother at age eight. His mother, Flora Klein, had survived the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.

In America, the young immigrant changed his name, learned English, and co-founded the legendary rock band KISS in 1973. Known onstage as “The Demon” for his fire-breathing, blood-spitting persona, Simmons helped propel KISS to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Beyond music, Simmons built a diverse business empire that includes record labels, television production (including the long-running A&E series Gene Simmons Family Jewels), books, and merchandising.

Simmons has frequently spoken of his gratitude toward the United States and his support for legal immigration, often contrasting his own experience with debates over border policy.