All About Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed's 2 Kids

Here's everything to know about Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed's two children: Nick and Sophie

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Published on February 23, 2023 03:13 PM

Gene Simmons 2 Children, Nick and Sophie Simmons — Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage

Get to know Gene Simmons' kids.

The KISS bassist is the father of two children, daughter Sophie and son Nick Simmons, who he shares with his wife, actress Shannon Tweed-Simmons. Although the pair have been together since 1983 and waited 28 years to officially tie the knot, they welcomed their first child in 1989.

Growing up, you'd think the offspring of a rock legend would have untraditional childhoods but Nick has previously opened up about how their lives were rather "sheltered" from the Hollywood happenings until their late teenage years.

"I was in school. I didn't miss school ever," he said during an interview on the Where My Moms At podcast in October 2022. "[Gene and Shannon] were very adamant that I don't be weird in Hollywood too early. So I didn't really get it until late teens, early 20s when the show [Gene Simmons Family Jewels] kicked in.

Since then, both Nick and Sophie have stepped into the spotlight on their own terms.

While they've made various appearances alongside their famous parents at different red carpet events — and KISS concerts, of course — over the years, Nick and Sophie have respectively pursued careers in music. (Sophie previously hinted at a future collab with her frontman father!)

Recently, the Simmons family supported Sophie when she tied the knot with her longtime love James Henderson on Feb. 17, 2023. "I'm not ready," joked Gene during an interview with Page Six ahead of the big day.

Here's everything to know about Simmons' kids.

Nick Simmons

Gene and Shannon welcomed their first child, son Nick, on Jan. 22, 1989. He was born six years after the couple started dating in 1983.

As the child of a famous rockstar, Nick was in the spotlight from a young age. While red carpet events and KISS concert outings were the norm for the musician's eldest child, he also made TV cameos as well. Notably, Nick appeared on Gene Simmons Family Jewels, his brood's reality show that ran on A&E from 2006 to 2012.

Outside of his Hollywood happenings, Nick pursued a career path of his own. He attended Pitzer College in Claremont, California and graduated with honors with a degree in English and world literature in 2011.

After graduation, Nick went on to be an accomplished writer. He published a three-issue comic book, Incarnate, and was a contributing author for the Huffington Post. He also has bylines for Vice, Esquire, Galore Magazine and Elite Daily.

Writing aside, Nick followed in his father's musical footsteps as a musician. In September 2022, he made an appearance on stage alongside rock band Wolfmother.

Continuing in the entertainment space, he also has several TV credits to his name. In addition to Gene Simmons Family Jewels, Nick's appeared on Starry Eyes in 2014, Awkward in 2016 and had a voice role in Robot Chicken in 2006.

Sophie Simmons

Gene and Shannon welcomed their second child, daughter Sophie, on July 7, 1992. She was born in Los Angeles three years after Nick.

Similar to her older brother, Sophie lived a life in the spotlight from a young age as the daughter of a rock legend. In addition to stepping out alongside her famed family at various high-profile events, she also also appeared on Gene Simmons Family Jewels from 2006 to 2012.

Career-minded as well, Sophie attended Pomona-Pitzer College in California, a college she chose in part due to her athletic abilities as a skilled volleyball player. "The Sagehens are student-athletes, not athlete-students. Academics come first here," Sophie told the school.

Although she studied computer science, she later pursued a career as a singer. "I was always writing songs my whole life, but it wasn't something I considered doing as a career just because it was what my family did, and I didn't want to be compared. I wanted to be my own person. But you can't help what you're passionate [about]," she told PEOPLE in 2018.

She released her first single, "Kiss Me," in 2015. In 2012, she auditioned for the second season of Fox's The X Factor, but was eliminated in the Bootcamp stage of the competition. A few years later, she dropped two more singles, "Black Mirror" and "Burn Me Down" in 2018. Most recently, she was featured on Alan Walker's track, "Love Sick," released in November 2022.

Outside of music, Sophie's been involved in several personal ventures in fashion and charity work. She started an inclusive fashion line with TheStyleClub and designed a jewelry line for Diamondere. She also heads Sophie's Place, a child advocacy center for "children and youth who report sexual or physical abuse."

As for her personal life, Sophie is married to her longtime love James Henderson. The two tied the knot at a Los Angeles courthouse on Feb. 17 and exchanged vows in front of 50 friends and family members at her mother's Malibu home on Feb. 22.

"We couldn't be prouder of our daughter," Gene and Shannon told PEOPLE in a statement. "James is a solid young man, and Sophie can do anything she puts her mind to. We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness. If they are even half as happy as we are, they will last long."