Gene Simmons is one of rock’s most fascinating figures. The KISS co-founder was born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel on

Happy Birthday to our Demon - The One & Only @GeneSimmons! pic.twitter.com/NBFN6GLEhY

— KISS (@kiss) August 25, 2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 25, 1949. When he was only eight years old, he and his mother, Florence, immigrated to the United States.

Simmons has often recalled growing up poor with his mother, who was a Holocaust survivor. He’s given many interviews over the years about how his very humble beginnings inspired him to want to be a success. Once the success came, Simmons was far from wanting to be humble about it. He has many notorious quotes about that and more, which we will explore here.

One of the many reasons why The Demon is so interesting is because he’s not afraid to speak his mind. It seems like so many rock stars today hold back on what they really think about a given topic. However, that has never been Gene’s style, which is something he is often loved and hated for.

So, how do you honor such a prolific presence in rock history? In the case of Simmons, you do so by looking back on some of his most brash, yet poignant quotes that have been attributed to him. Enjoy! (We know Gene totally would!)

• “I’m fascinated with myself and love hearing the sound of my own voice. I’d like to hear what I have to say. A lot of people don’t like being alone because they truly don’t like themselves, but I love me.”

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  Bono once sang in a U2 song, "I like the sound of my own voice/I didn't give anyone else a choice." It seems like the two rock stars might have something in common here! However, you have to respect Gene enjoying his own company. Not many people can say that about themselves.

• “Life is too short to have anything but delusional notions about yourself.”

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  Once again, The Demon isn't short on confidence with this quote. Regardless of your opinion of this quote, we can all agree with Gene on one thing: Life is too short.

• “I have to have an emotional connection to what I am ultimately selling because it is emotion, whether you are selling religion, politics, even a breath mint.”

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  You can always tell when someone truly is passionate about something. We think that's one of the takeaways from this quote. Well, that and even if you're trying to sell breath mints, you've got to believe in them in some form or another.
• “If you’re the greatest, it’s okay to say you’re the greatest. My suggestion to everybody is to be their own greatest fan. Weaker personas and personalities define that as egotistical or arrogant, but what it means is their self-esteem isn’t that strong.”

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  Being your own biggest cheerleader is actually really great advice, regardless of who you are and what you do for a living. Having strong self-esteem is one of the most important things anyone can have. Who cares if other people think you're arrogant? You're the one that has to be able to look yourself in the mirror every day and like what you see.

• “Rock is about finding who you are. You don’t necessarily have to play your instrument very well at all. You can just barely get by and you can be in a rock band.”

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  This certainly echos the sentiment of, "It's not what you play but how you play it." Some of the biggest rock stars in the world often think they're far from the best musician ever. Sometimes, personality can really take you a long way.