Happy Birthday Gene Simmons

Happy Birthday to Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons, who turns 64 on Sunday (August 25th). Although acting was an early side interest for Simmons, the bassist has branched off and become a world renowned entrepreneur, marketing himself along with the Kiss brand all over the planet. Most recently, he, wife Shannon Tweed, and their two children Nick and Sophie, were the stars on the now-canceled A&E reality series Gene Simmons' Family Jewels.

It was announced last week that Simmons and Paul Stanley are among the owners of the new Arena Football League expansion team, the L.A. Kiss. The Kiss co-founders appeared at a press conference on August 15th announcing the team-up, which will find the newly endorsed team play at Anaheim's Honda Center starting next March. The L.A. Kiss will be Southern California's first AFL team since April 2009 when the L.A. Avengers called it a day after eight seasons at the Staples Center. The L.A. Kiss, which has the Kiss logo on its helmets, opened its season on August 17th with a game against the Philadelphia Soul -- which was originally partially owned by Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora.

Last October, Kiss released its 20th album, Monster. The collection, which peaked at Number Three on the Billboard 200 album charts, is the Kiss' first original studio set since 2009's Sonic Boom, is the second to feature their latest lineup of Gene Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar, Eric Singer on drums, and lead guitarist Tommy Thayer. Also, like Sonic Boom, Monster features no songs from outside writers.