Before he was spitting fire and rocking arenas in platform boots, Gene Simmons — the undisputed Demon of KISS — was tackling a slightly different kind of performance: teaching sixth graders in East Harlem. Because apparently, even rock gods have to pay the rent.
Born Chaim Witz in Israel in 1949, Simmons arrived in Queens, New York, at eight, utterly bewildered by English and American life. But even as he navigated a new world, the siren song of rock stardom was calling. Problem was, that song didn't exactly come with a steady paycheck. So, before he became a multi-platinum legend, Simmons clocked in at an eclectic mix of gigs.
He studied education, snagging an associate degree in 1970, all while jamming with Paul Stanley in a band called Wicked Lester. Yes, Wicked Lester. Even then, the theatrical flair was there, just… unpolished.
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While Wicked Lester was starting to get actual gigs, Simmons still needed cash. So, he took a detour into the surprisingly wholesome world of elementary education. He taught sixth grade in East Harlem, a fact he recalled in a 2023 interview, remembering his detailed lessons on the United Kingdom. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying. Imagine the Destroyer of Worlds explaining the Magna Carta.
His resume didn't stop there. He also became an assistant at the Puerto Rican Interagency Council, where he was, by his own admission, a rather good typist. He claims this gig pulled in a respectable $23,000 in 1972, which was not chump change. He also temped, cashiered at a deli, and perhaps most surprisingly, worked as an assistant for Glamour and Vogue magazines, supporting editor Kate Lloyd. Because nothing screams 'future rock icon' quite like assisting a fashion editor.
By 1973, the pieces were finally falling into place. Simmons and Stanley found Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, and the world was about to meet KISS. Their first album dropped in 1974, and while superstardom didn't happen overnight, it wasn't long before Simmons traded his lesson plans and typing duties for pyrotechnics and a very long tongue. The lesson? Even the most outlandish dreams sometimes start with a surprisingly mundane day job.
