NEWS HEADLINES

June 29th- GENE SIMMONS - GRAND MARSHAL OF TORONTO INDY RACE The Canadian Press    Mon, June 29th, 2009 The original God of Thunder will be on hand at the upcoming Honda Indy Toronto. Gene Simmons, bassist/vocalist for classic rock stalwarts KISS, has been named grand marshal for the July 12 race, organizers announced Monday. Simmons, who co-founded KISS more than 35 years ago, was involved in the global marketing of the IndyCar Series for several years through his partnership in Simmons Abramson Marketing. "Gene Simmons is one of the most recognizable figures and groundbreaking businessmen in the world and we are pleased to have him be a big part of the 2009 Honda Indy Toronto," Kevin Savoree, president of race promoter Andretti Green Toronto, said in a statement. Simmons's business resume is almost as impressive as his rock catalogue. The tongue-wagging Simmons has been the mastermind behind many lucrative KISS merchandising/licensing deals, the production of television shows (including "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," "Gene Simmons Rock School" and "My Dad the Rock Star") and a series of KISS-themed comic books. He also co-owns a Canadian-based record label, Simmons Records, along with Belinda Stronach. June 26th- PREVIEW OF THIS WEEK'S GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS On Sunday, June 28, two new episodes of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" will premiere on A&E. At 9:00 PM, A&E will air "Economic Stimulus", where Gene will ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and spread the word about investing in America and longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed does some spending of her own when she gets addicted to late night infomercials. In "Slumber Party", Shannon falls ill and it is up to Gene to keep an eye on Sophie and her five hyper friends, fend off a horde of horny boys trying to crash the party and track down one bad girl who sneaks out for a little rendezvous. Watch a preview clip of "Slumber Party" below. ABRAHAM LINCOLN Some of you have been asking me political, and financial questions. The following Abraham Lincoln quote (sent to me by Eric Singer), sums up my political and financial point of view, expressed by perhaps our greatest President. "You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves." -Abraham Lincoln June 23rd- NICK SIMMONS INCARNATE Hi, this is Nick Simmons from Gene Simmons Family Jewels-- I'm very proud, and very excited, to say that my comic that I wrote and drew, called "INCARNATE", is available for pre-order at the A&E website here: http://shop.aetv.com/detail.php?p=105066 This is going to be a 3-issue miniseries, and the first issue is due to be out in early August. Hope everyone enjoys it--it's been a labor of love, over a year in the making, and I'm very proud to see my ideas finally taking shape. Here's the synopsis of INCARNATE: Mot is a boy who cannot die. Riddle him with bullets, burn him at the stake, douse him with napalm, hang him from the gallows…still, he will walk away. Forever haunted by a mysterious doppelganger that no one else can see, Mot has wandered the world for centuries, searching for meaning and, perhaps, an end to his endless life. He is a Revenant—an immortal, ageless creature that has existed since time immemorial. Their origins are a mystery—they have been worshipped as gods, feared as monsters, and scorned as devils. But they have always been there, living in plain sight, in the bright altars and dark corners of every ancient civilization since the beginning of humanity. There has never been a force on this earth that has been able to give them the death that Mot, secretly, seeks. Until now. Now, something is different. Now they are being hunted. A shadow organization known only as Sanctum has discovered a way to kill the Revenants, and is carrying out a secret genocide that spans the globe. Mot, his protégé Connor, and the rest of the Revenants now must decide how to ensure their place at the top of the food chain. Mot finds himself smack in the middle of an escalating war between mortals and immortals, neither of which he identifies with. Will he choose a side? Or will he be labeled a traitor, and be hunted down not only by humans, but by creatures as invulnerable and merciless as he is?" June 20th- INCARNATE (Radical Comics) BY NICK SIMMONS CLICK ON THE VIDEO BELOW TO WATCH AND FIND OUT MORE! June 19th- PREVIEW OF THIS WEEK'S GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS Legendary rock god multi-hyphenate Gene Simmons and his unconventional family are back and better than ever for an all-new season of A&E's hit unscripted series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels." The 15-episode season kicked off on June 7 with Sophie's sweet sixteen party, giving viewers an all-access pass to the milestone celebration. This week, in "Godfather Gene," Gene and longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed hit New Jersey to be the Godfather to a friend's newborn grandson and Shannon inadvertently starts a feminist uprising amongst the subservient wives when she refuses to fall into line with tradition. "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. on A&E. In addition to Sophie's sweet sixteen, the new season will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the entire family's many adventures. From Gene's appearance on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" to Gene filming a Japanese monster flick, to Shannon preparing for a role in a roller derby exploitation film, to Nick getting his own apartment, to Sophie fending off ill-intentioned teenaged boys, viewers will follow the Simmons-Tweed clan as they set out to prove, yet again, why they are the most non-traditional, traditional family in America. Leslie Greif, Adam Reed, Adam Freeman and Gene Simmons are the series executive producers. "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" is produced by The Greif Company and the Gene Simmons Company. Robert Sharenow and Neil A. Cohen are the A&E executive producers. June 18th- SOPHIE TWEED-SIMMONS GIVES US HER 10 TIPS FOR SUMMER! By Nikki Katz    Thurs, June 18th, 2009 Sophie Tweed-Simmons - daughter of Gene Simmons, star of the ‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels‘ show, and excellent fashionista - was kind enough to put together this article for the Junior Celebs readers!! Sophie offers us her 10 Tips for Summer. - The No Pants Dance Try to go the whole summer wearing skirts, dresses and shorts. This is a great way to push yourself to mix up your outfits and keep from getting too hot in the summer sun. - Signature Scents Your sense of smell is directly associated with your memory. So pick a scent that people can really remember you by, something sweet and summery. Mine is DKNY Be Delicious. Wear your scent everyday of summer but please don’t drench yourself. From now on you will leave a lasting impression. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY! GENE SIMMONS DREAMS UP A NEW REVENUE STREAM By Marina Hyde, The Guardian UK    Thurs, June 18th, 2009 In a world where it feels like there are almost too many reasons to revere KISS, one achievement stands above all the others, and that is the rock band's status as the most grasping merchandisers ever to stalk the Earth in eight-inch platform boots. KISS studded condoms, KISS Kamping sets, KISS Kabernet Sauvignon ... they've brought you them all in a musical career that spans more than 3,000 products of which you have absolutely no need. In terms of a commitment to exploiting their dumbest fans, no other entertainers deliver such a comprehensive cradle-to-the-grave service - and I really do mean to the grave. In 2001, the band brought out the KISS Kasket - a $4,500 coffin emblazoned with their images. For an extra $500 they'd sign it for you. "I love living," quoth lead singer Gene Simmons at the time, "but this makes the alternative look pretty damn good." But the great thing about Gene is that he's always pushing that envelope, and so it is that visitors to selected men's rooms in the United States this week stumbled upon the latest promotion for his reality show - Gene Simmons urinal cakes. Of course, this isn't strictly a KISS product. Technically, the, um, revenue stream will flow straight to the TV channel, before they siphon some of it off and present it to Gene. But it really is a throwback to the golden age of KISS chiselling, and if I added that they were actually talking urinal cakes, I know you'd only respect him more. New letters posted... I'm on a red eye flight from Edmonton to Halifax this week and I'm watching Family Jewels. I get up to go to the rest room and as I walk to the other end of the plane, I see countless others have your show on as well. Easily 40%. That's a great ratio on a flight with just over 200 people!! You are on the ground, in the air and everywhere! Can't wait for the Halifax show this summer! Paul McCartney is the week before but I know many who are going to KISS instead! Hello Gene: Love you, Love KISS and all you represent to the world. I thought that I would share that tonight when we were watching the Dog Whisperer tonight. Ceasar Millan was in Mexico rescuing dogs, and we saw a Huge KISS billboard. We were amazed and excited when we saw the billboard. Keep Rockin and look forward to seeing you in concert this year: Ruth and Roland LETTERS... June 17th- GENE SIMMONS ON WILLIAM SHATNER'S RAW NERVE Yesterday was a full day...on the other hand, they all are. We started the day early by doing interviews, catching up with Rich re: our SIMMONS ABRAMSON businesses... Then, headed off to WILLIAM SHATNER'S to be interviewed by him for his RAW NERVE show on BIO. It's a bit disarming to sit with Capt Kirk himself and not be aware of the remarkable iconic brand imagery that is STAR TREK. It was a part of my childhood I will never forget. In some ways, the originals, though not as lavishly produced as later re-incarnations, still had what later versions did not = Shatner and Nimoy. Quality actors and quality scripts. So much so, that to this day, I watch reruns and love them still. Then headed off to the recording studio to do some vocals on the new KISS STUDIO ALBUM (we'll tell you the title later). Check out KISSONLINE.COM for all the details. And then headed off to Glendale, California to shoot some scenes for Season IV of GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS...then headed back to the house to finish shooting. In case you weren't aware, often on Saturdays and almost always Sundays...A&E runs GSFJ Marathons that can last hours. All leading into new episodes on Sunday evenings - 9 pm, 8 pm central.... Now for some rest. Tomorrow is another day. SIMMONS' PEE-STAINED CAKES ARE A HIT WITH FANS contactmusic.com    Wed, June 17th, 2009 KISS star GENE SIMMONS has sparked a new craze for stealing used urinal cakes from public toilets across America. The rocker thought it would be a giggle to promote his reality TV show Gene Simmons Family Jewels by advertising where men pee - but he never thought fans would pick up the urine-soaked publicity items. The fact the cakes reward the accurate with a recorded message from Simmons, whose face appears on them, has turned them into instant collectors' must-haves. But Simmons says, "Please leave the urinal cake in the pee hole for others to enjoy. Reports have come in that some of you have been stealing 'em. If so, kindly remember to wash 'em before you take 'em home!" The new season of Simmons hit reality show debuted in America on 7 June (09). June 16th- New Lady in Waiting! Tayler MORE LADIES... New letters posted... Gene is everywhere... Balloon Party ( Brazilian balloon contest ) Look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXx6CzEtfmo Thanks Brother ! Márcio LETTERS... June 15th- GENE SIMMONS URINAL CAKES! Yep. For all of you who have always wanted to pee on my face!!! Now you can. A&E has put GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS URINAL CAKES throughout the country, featuring my face on the cakes. They're in most bathrooms. Now, for those of you who need detail = all you need to do is point your tool into the urinal, hit the "cake" with your flow and don't be surprised if the urinal cake talks back to you!!! And please, leave the urinal cake in the pee hole for others to enjoy. Reports have come in that some of you have been stealing 'em. If so, kindly remember to wash 'em before you take 'em home. Just came back from doing ADR on the new written/directed MIKE JUDGE film "EXTRACT" (Miramax). The process involves me standing in front of a microphone (mic) and saying a few lines the director wants in the film. There is usually a movie screen in front of me, and I try to match what I say. The film comes out in September. More later. Usually, days are spent going back and forth between recording the new KISS studio album (check out KISSONLINE.COM for all the latest), produced by Paul, to filming the last few episodes of Season IV of our GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS (-in case you're missing it, every weekend, on Sat and Sun, at various times, A&E runs a marathon of our shows and then on Sunday evening, they run two new episodes, along with a few reruns - Check your local listings for details). And, just found out I'm going to be Grand Marshall of the Toronto IndyCar Race, July 12th. Both Rich Abramson and I will be there (Rich and I have the marketing company, SIMMONS/ABRAMSON, which works for a number of high end companies). At the event, our SIMMONS RECORDS - UNIVERSAL MUSIC CANDA team plan to announce something very special. But we don't want to let the entire cat out of the bag just yet. And, that night, there will be some goings on, which we'll tell you about soon. We're also developing STUPID, based on the book HOW I BECAME STUPID, as a motion picture, with SCOTT STEINDORFF, who has produced such movies as HUMAN STAIN (Nicole Kidman/Anthony Hopkins). We're waiting for the right lead and then we're off. KISS will be playing a number of select shows in Canada in July. Check out KISSONLINE.COM for details. Then, July 24rd through July 26th, I will be at COMICON (San Diego) with my good looking son, NICK, for a big event at the Hard Rock. Hosted by Radical Comics, the party will debut Nick's graphic novel, INCARNATE. He both wrote and drew it. Wait till you see it. It's a killer. We're also working on a number of other high profile projects, but can't talk about 'em just yet. New letters posted... Thought you’d like to see these pillows that I saw at a chichi boutique, while walking through Covent Garden, London, today... It’s a KISS world, we just live in it!!! Bill Goldstein LETTERS... June 14th- TONGUES WERE WAGGING AS KISS STAR GENE SIMMONS VISITED MEMPHIS By Michael Lollar, Memphis Commercial Appeal    Sun, June 14th, 2009 Gene Simmons paid his respects to Memphis music last fall with a visit to the home of rock and roll for tonight's episode of his A&E reality show, "Gene Simmons Family Jewels." The tongue-wagging lead singer and guitarist for KISS, Simmons visited Graceland, Sun Studio, Beale Street and The Peabody, where he served as honorary duck master and signed autographs for fans in the hotel's famous lobby. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY! New letters posted... I listened to your interview about adam lambert. Your right. He should have won. Chris even was stunned at time of announcement. He should just shut up and sing. Your right a lot of us don't care what he does behind closed doors. He is a huge talent. But we don't want his lifestyle in our face. Scott LETTERS... New letters posted... Hello, Today I recieved 40 KISSTORY 2 books for the 46th Combat Engineers. I do not know if they came from Kiss or Gene Simmons, but I wanted to make sure that someone received a huge Thank You! There was nothing with the books except for the shipping label which stated that they came from a company called National Fullfillment. I attempted to call this company, but the number is out of service. The dates for the 46th have been moved up to the month of August 2009, so they are closer and closer to returning home. Thank you again for this wonderful donation for our soldiers! Bright Blessings, Margaret C Pritchett Response from Gene: Yes. The books came from us. A "very small" thank you to the Men and Women in Uniform who make our life and freedom possible. Dear Gene & Shannon, I stumbled on the show yesterday afternoon (heard of it, never watched it), and luckily there was a marathon of episodes leading into the premiere of the new season last night. I’m hooked! OMG! I can’t remember watching anything recently where I smiled or laughed through the whole program. You have two amazing, well adjusted, and REALLY funny kids (a sense of humor can get us all far in this life!!). With all of the successes you both have had in life, they pale in comparison to the AMAZING parents you are to Sophie and Nick, and to the amazing people you both are. With all of the chaos in the country and in the world “Family Jewels” lets us forget about THAT for a little while and laugh at a remarkably NORMAL family. Thank you SO MUCH for that! Carolyn LETTERS... June 9th- LISA LAMPANELLI ROASTS GENE SIMMONS For those of you who didn't catch our Roast on last year's GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS. Here's Miss Lisa killing me. GENE SIMMONS ENCOURAGES FATHERS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY By Tim Saunders    Tuesday, June 09, 2009 KISS bassist Gene Simmons has reportedly sold his kidney stone for charity. “I passed a kidney stone and I put it on eBay for charity,” the musician told The Today Show’s Kathie Lee Gifford last week. "I got $15,000.“ Simmons did not reveal which charity he will give the money to. In the same interview, the rocker went on to talk about how men need to step up to the responsibility of being fathers. “Men need to be men and stop acting like little boys. When you have children, it is not just your responsibility to be their friend but to be their father. Step up and give them the guidance so that when they grow up, they know how to treat girls. As men… we need to grow up and become the fathers we wish we had.“ FANGORIA'S COMIC SCREAMS INTERVIEW WITH NICK SIMMONS Mike Fish- Comics News    Tuesday, June 09, 2009 Nick Simmons might not be a household name just yet, but if things keep going the way they are, horror fans will get to know him very quickly. As an heir to the FAMILY JEWELS - yes, GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS - Nick can be seen on the show, which just returned to A&E for a new season that started on Sunday. What horror fans should really take interest in is Nick's new comic book series, INCARNATE - coming in August from Radical Comics. FANGORIA's Mike Fish recently caught up with the elusive Simmons for a one-on-one about Comics, Movies, and of course - horror. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL INTERVIEW! New letters posted... Dear Gene and Family, You guys made me cry with Sophie’s sweet sixteen episode. It is awesome to see the deep love all of you have for each other. Kudos to all of you and your great success! Blessings, Mike LETTERS... June 7th- GENE SIMMONS ON THE TODAY SHOW June 6th- GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS SEASON IV If you're near a television set tomorrow (June 7th), you may want to check out A&E. Chances are, they'll be broadcasting a Marathon of our show all day. And, Season IV debuts at 9 pm, 8 pm Central time. We have 23 new episodes. June 3rd- RADICAL PUBLISHING UNLEASHES "INCARNATE" BY NICK SIMMONS THIS AUGUST By CBR News Team Editor    Wed, June 3rd, 2009 They cannot die. They feel no pain. They hunger for human flesh. They are Revenants. Centuries ago, the Revenant known as Mot was worshipped as a God. Now, he walks the Earth in search for a purpose to his immortality – but when a secret society discovers a way to kill Revenants, Mot and his fellow immortals must make a choice: Hunt or be hunted. Radical Publishing is proud to announce its newest title for August 2009: INCARNATE, created, written and penciled by Nick Simmons, son of rock legend Gene Simmons and star of A&E’s Gene Simmons Family Jewels. The three-issue miniseries will feature a brand new 52-page format and $4.99 price point that will be used in future Radical titles such as FVZA: Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency from David Hine (Civil War: X-Men, Spider-Man Noir) and The Last Days of American Crime from Rick Remender (Punisher, Fear Agent). The story concerns Mot, a peculiar member of a race of predatory creatures called Revenants. They are immortal, ageless, shape-shifting and vicious. There has never been a force on this earth that has been able to give them the death that Mot (secretly) seeks, until now. A shadow organization known only as Sanctum has discovered a way to kill the Revenants, and is carrying out a secret genocide that spans the globe. Mot, his protégé Connor, and the rest of the Revenants now must decide how to ensure their place at the top of the food chain. Nick Simmons’ breakout American Manga title reveals a world that challenges even the imagination, planting its tongue firmly in cheek, then biting it off...And swallowing it. “Incarnate is a project that is very close to me,” stated Radical Publishing President and Publisher Barry Levine. “As a rock photographer, I have worked very closely with Gene Simmons and the members of KISS. Since I’ve known him, Gene has always had a passion for comics and has passed that down to his son Nick. After seeing Nick’s concept for Incarnate and the quality of his designs and panels, I immediately felt that this was a great fit for Radical.” Just before its August release date, Incarnate #1 will debut at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International with Nick Simmons on hand to sign copies. For more info on Radical at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, stay tuned to www.radicalcomics.com for all the latest news. Incarnate #1 appears in the June 2009 Diamond Previews catalog, to ship August 2009 and featuring a cover by popular Runaways and Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 cover artist Jo Chen. Incarnate #1 is a 52-page comic and retails for only $4.99. June 1st- GENE SIMMONS BEHIND THE SCENES ON A&E'S PRIVATE SESSIONS

 back to top

Archived News here...

More News here...

back to top

News Archive

2009

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

2008

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2007

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2006

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2005

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2004

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2003

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2002

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2001

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec