Exploding on the music scene in the early 1970s, the rock group KISS combined raw energy with theatrical showmanship—not to mention face painting! Founding member Gene Simmons—an outrageous star whose superlong tongue, legendary sexual exploits, and demonic makeup have made him a rock icon—recounts his own story as well as the history of the band. In KISS and Make-Up, Simmons shares a wild, shocking, and unbelievable tale about an immigrant boy from Israel who studied to be a rabbi but was saved by rock and roll and became one of the most notorious rock stars in the world.

In his irreverent voice, Gene talks about the girls (more than 4,000!); his bond with KISS cofounder Paul Stanley; the struggles he and Paul had with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and the untimely death of Eric Carr. He also details his love life, including stories about his relationships with Cher, Diana Ross, and Shannon Tweed—the mother of his son and daughter and companion for almost forty years. And, of course, Simmons expresses his enormous love and affection for the people who put him there in the first place—the KISS Army and the ever-loyal KISS fans around the world!