R.I.P. — KISS bassist Gene Simmons’ mother Florence Klein has passed away

R.I.P. — KISS bassist Gene Simmons’ mother Florence Klein has passed away

Very sad news for Gene Simmons and his family as the KISS bassist’s mother Florence (also known as Flora) Klein has passed away. Simmons, who immigrated to the United States of America with his mother at the age of eight, has seemingly always been very close to his mother Flora who he continuously praised during interviews and whenever he publicly could.

The following message was posted on the Facebook account from Simmons‘ wife Shannon Tweed Simmons earlier today:

“Rest in peace my dear Flora. The best grandma and mother in law I could ask for. You were loved and you will be missed”

Wikipedia states the following in part about Simmons‘ early life (with slight edits):

“Simmons was born as Chaim Witz on August 25, 1949, at Rambam Hospital, in Haifa, Israel, to Jewish emigrants from Hungary. His mother, Florence Klein (originally Flóra Kovács), was born in Jánd, and survived internment in Nazi concentration camps. She and her brother, Larry Klein, were the only members of the family to survive the Holocaust. His father, Ferenc “Feri” Yehiel Witz, was a carpenter. Simmons spent his early childhood in Tirat Carmel, and was raised in a Jewish household. He practiced playing his guitar for hours on end. He has said that his family was “dirt poor,” scraping by on rationed bread and milk. At age seven, he began to pick wild fruit and sell it on roadsides together with a friend.

At age eight, he immigrated to the United States with his mother and settled in New York City. His father remained in Israel, where he had one other son and three daughters. In the United States, Simmons changed his name to Eugene Klein (later Gene Klein), adopting his mother’s maiden name. At age nine, he briefly attended a Jewish religious school, Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, before transferring to a public school.”

Sleaze Roxx passes its condolences to Gene Simmons and his family.