Gene Simmons and his solo group, Gene Simmons Band, are part of the lineup for the current Rock Legends Cruise XIII, taking place from February 22 to February 27, 2026, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty Of The Seas. Footage captured by fans during the Gene Simmons Band performance on February 23 at the ship’s Platinum Theater has surfaced online.
This follows the band’s 2026 debut on February 20 at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles, where they made history by performing two Kiss tracks written by Ace Frehley for the first time. The current lineup—featuring Gene Simmons, Jason Walker, Brian Tichy, and Brent Woods—included “Strange Ways” and “Rocket Ride” as part of a 14-song setlist.
Ace Frehley has previously opened up about the writing process for ‘Strange Ways‘ and why he ultimately passed the vocal duties over to the drummer:
“I love ‘Strange Ways‘. I just came up with the riff. It was one of those inspired, heavy tunes. I didn’t feel comfortable as a singer at that point. Gene and Paul [Stanley] are very intimidating people. A lot of the time they tend to make people feel inadequate. It took me a while to get over my feeling of inadequacy. I didn’t think I was as good a singer as I am. It took me a while to come out of my shell.”
“Whenever I wrote songs in the early days, I’d always ask Peter to sing so he would get some of the spotlight. I wasn’t that secure with myself as a singer around Gene, Paul and Peter. They were all confident lead singers, and even though I knew I could sing, they didn’t encourage it, so, I just kind of laid back.”
“‘Strange Ways‘ was never performed live by Kiss. I had forgotten just how heavy it was. One of my favorite guitar solos is the one on ‘Strange Ways‘. It was done in one take. I just closed my eyes and that’s what came out. Usually, I record in the control room, but for that solo I went out and stood in front of the amp and got that wild feedback bend at the beginning. It sounded like a dinosaur.”
Born Chaim Witz in Haifa in 1949 to Hungarian Jewish immigrants, Gene Simmons was raised by his mother, Holocaust survivor Flora Klein, after his father, Feri Witz, left the family. Beyond his musical legacy, Simmons has established himself as a prominent philanthropist and media tycoon with a business empire spanning restaurants, film, and consumer goods.
His journey toward superstership began after seeing The Beatles on television, eventually leading him to partner with Paul Stanley in 1970 for the project Wicked Lester. By 1972, the pair aimed to build the world’s “ultimate” act, recruiting Ace Frehley and Peter Criss to form Kiss. Drawing from his passion for horror and comics, Simmons created his iconic persona, which—combined with pyrotechnics and costumes—turned KISS into a global phenomenon.
Over a fifty-year career, Kiss has moved more than 100 million units and shattered attendance records previously held by The Beatles and Elvis Presley, fueled by their dedicated Kiss Army. Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014, the band‘s reach extends far beyond the stage; thanks to Simmons’ business instincts, the brand boasts over 5,000 licensed products, making Kiss the most successful merchandising entity in the history of music.
