KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and his solo band, GENE SIMMONS BAND, were among the artists who performed during this year's Rock Legends Cruise XIII, which sailed February 22-27, 2026 on Royal Caribbean's Liberty Of The Seas.

Fan-filmed video of GENE SIMMONS BAND's February 26 concert on the ship's pool deck stage can be seen below courtesy of Philly Upstart on YouTube.

During their performance, GENE SIMMONS BAND played two KISS songs written by Ace Frehley for the first time ever: "Strange Ways" and "Rocket Ride." The setlist consisted of a total of 14 songs.

In an August 2024 interview with Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast, Simmons mentioned that his performances with his solo band are "just having a lot of fun." He also discussed how his business model allows him to pocket significant amounts from each gig without incurring high production costs.

Simmons was born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, and went on to achieve success through music, television shows, films, publishing, merchandising, restaurants, consumer products, and more.

He was inspired by THE BEATLES and formed several bands before meeting fellow KISS co-founder Paul Stanley in 1970.

Simmons conceived the concept of his iconic face paint while forming KISS with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley in the early 1970s.