Rock-and-Roll Real Estate of Kiss

Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Tommy Thayer and Ace Frehley have some nice homes.

Rock-and-Roll Real Estate of Kiss

They want to rock and roll all night and party every day. Or at least they used to. Kiss members are averaging about 65 years old, but they're still touring. Their End of the Road World Tour is ongoing, but the pandemic delayed many of their shows, and the rock stars have been sheltering at home.

As members of one of rock and roll's most influential and iconic groups, those houses have to be pretty sweet, right? See for yourself.

Take a look inside the current and past real estate of Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Tommy Thayer and Ace Frehley. No Paul Stanley, though. He's private.

Gene Simmons' Net Worth

Gene Simmons has bought and sold a lot of properties over his 71 years, and he can afford to. The long-tongued Kiss frontman has an estimated net worth of over $400 million.

He currently resides in Beverly Hills, California, in a very large and very expensive mansion.

Gene Simmons' Beverly Hills Mansion

This mansion is Simmons' longtime home after purchasing it in 1986 for $1.34 million.

Property records also show that Simmons added a 12,380-square-foot addition in 2000.

The mansion now has 16,000 square feet of living space with seven bedrooms and seven full bathrooms.

The Family Jewels

It's the same house featured in "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," the Simmons' A&E reality show that ran from 2006 to 2012.

The show featured Simmons' wife, Shannon, and their kids, Nick and Sophie. It ran for seven seasons and can be found on A&E's website.

The house sits on 1.84 acres of land and has a full-sized tennis court, pool, and a 60-foot water slide.

The Foyer

The entry foyer has a 40-foot ceiling and a curved staircase that stretches to an open second floor.

Simmons put this house up for sale on Oct. 23, 2020, but delisted it less than a month later.

He originally asked a whopping $22 million for it.

The Living Room

Simmons has held this home for 34 years.

Simmons is well known and sometimes reviled for his excessive promiscuity. He claimed on a radio show in 2010 that he bedded "right under 5,000" women and has proof.

He took a Polaroid photo of each one, with his hotel room key visible in each photo, and has some kind of scrapbook.

As Seen on TV

Interviews on "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" usually took place on a couch in front of the fireplace. It still looks pretty much the same a decade later.

Simmons married Shannon in 2011 and aired their wedding on TV. Simmons may or may not have put aside his lecherous ways.

Coffered Ceilings

The mansion has some intricate ceiling work with some expensive-looking wallpaper and painted wood coffering. A marble fireplace, hardwood floors along with lots of knickknacks and furniture make this room feel comfy and lived-in.

Get Gene Simmons In Your House for $50,000

There's a waiter statue in this dining room, which reminds us that you can summon Simmons to your house for the price of $50,000. Or at least you could prior to the pandemic.

One of Simmons' newest business ventures was something called "The Vault." It's an 11-CD boxed set with unreleased solo recordings, commentary track, book and action figure.

But it was an experience as well. For $2,000, you could buy the Vault and meet Simmons for five minutes at a predetermined location, along with all other Vault-goers. But for $50,000, Simmons would hand-deliver the Vault to your door and hang out with you and up to 25 friends for two hours. What a bargain.

Unfortunately, the pandemic caused all 202 appearances to be canceled. But we're sure it'll be back.

The Master Bedroom

Simmons is a serial entrepreneur. Kind of. He's more than happy to lend the Kiss brand to anything from condoms to caskets, and he really, really likes to trademark stuff. Or at least try to.

In 2017, he tried to trademark the heavy metal "devil horns" hand gesture and was denied, of course. According to Vice, Simmons has attempted to register 182 trademarks, including "Exotic Car Wash," "Naked Car Wash," "Nude Car Wash," "Topless Car Wash," "Symposium of Success," "International Fight Club," "Big Band," "Trophy Wife," "Sextacy," "Dominatrix," "Dominatrex," and "Zipper."

After the devil horns backlash, Simmons defended himself, saying, "Did you know I own the money bag logo? The dollar sign with the bag of money. I own all kinds of things. I own 'motion pictures' as a trademark."

The truth about that is anyone's guess. This is Simmons we're talking about.

Where The Eagles First Soared?

Simmons told Forbes that the property used to belong to music industry powerhouse Irving Azoff, who managed the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac.

"I’m told the Eagles were put together on the property," Simmons said.

Millions in Upgrades

When Simmons purchased the house in the 1980s, it was a 3,500-square-foot wood farmhouse.

According to Forbes, he spent $11 million and five years flattening the terrain, transplanting trees and expanding the estate.

Moving to Mount Rainer

Simmons says he's moving to a 24-acre estate in Washington state, near Mount Rainer. Why? He's moving out of California because of the state's high property taxes, the same reason why Joe Rogan moved to Austin, Texas.

"I’m finally not putting up with [paying] 60 percent to 70 percent of my gross to the government," Simmons told Forbes. "I am going to a much more welcoming state where there is no income tax, no local and state taxes. Federal taxes are enough."

Made for Lovin' You

It's unclear why Simmons delisted the property. He told Forbes that he is "insisting on meeting the family who wants to buy it. We need to be OK emotionally, with passing our home to someone else. It will always be our home."

He'll probably find someone who believes it's made for lovin' them, too.

Peter Criss' Net Worth

Peter Criss, seen here on the left with his kitty cat makeup on in full force for this 1977 photo (happier times!), is a founding Kiss member and the band's true Catman.

He played drums for the band until 1980, when he was fired from the band (Criss maintains he quit). He reunited with the band a few times beginning in 1995, and last played with them in 2014, when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He fully retired in 2017 and is worth about $3 million.

Criss' Country Manor

Criss used to live in this spectacularly classic, 3,735-square-foot country manor in Greenwich, Connecticut.

He and his first wife, Lydia, bought the home in 1977.

Country Comfort

The two called it "Country Comfort," according to a Tumblr fansite, which has this fantastic collage of vintage photographs.

That's Lydia on the bridge and Criss in the upper right with one of his many guns.

Not a Storybook Story

While this manor might look like it's straight out of a storybook, Criss and Lydia did not have a fairytale relationship.

According to Blabbermouth, just a year after the two bought the home, Criss met Playboy centerfold Debra Jensen at a party held by Rod Stewart. The two had an affair, and Criss left Lydia, his wife of nine years, for Jensen (she and Criss divorced in 1994).

Lydia was awarded this house in their divorce settlement.

Cat Inspirations

Rustic farmhouse kitchen, open floor plan

The reason why Criss chose to paint himself like a cat isn't because he's a furry. It's because he was "inspired by Lydia's pet, Mateuse," according to a 1979 People article.

Lydia lived in the house until 1985. While she lived here, she was sleeping with a .38 next to her bed in case of intruders. Which is odd, because Greenwich has always been an extremely wealthy town with a low crime rate, but you do you.

An Eating Area

The house has clearly been updated since the 1970s and 1980s, and now sports very chic farmhouse amenities, like the exposed wood ceiling beams.

The Kitchen

The kitchen sports an island with natural stone work, brick-tile flooring, stainless steel appliances and a seven-burner stove.

The coolest thing is that castle-like door, though.

Dining Room

Criss has had a rather, ah, interesting career. In 2000, Criss found out that guitarist Ace Frehley was making $10,000 more than him.

After yelling (meowing loudly?) about that and threatening to leave the tour early, he was given a matching salary but continued to mope. He even added a teardrop to his makeup in protest.

Kind of like how murderers in prison get teardrop tattoos, but also the complete opposite of that.

The Great Room

The great room has a wooden, vaulted ceiling that's high enough to throw your drumsticks in the air without hitting the top. Like how Criss destroyed his drumkit at the last original-lineup Kiss show after the salary dispute. Criss was quit-fired shortly after.

After being temporarily replaced by Peter Singer, he came back to the band in 2003 for a series of tours, but Simmons and Stanley didn't renew his contract for 2004.

Singer replaced him after that and even took his makeup.

The Master Bedroom

His mansion last sold for $1.67 million in late September 2020.

It was first listed for $2.3 million in 2018.

Criss now resides in Wall Township, New Jersey, in a large house on a cul-de-sac.

Tommy Thayer's Net Worth

Tommy Thayer replaced Frehley in 2002, Spaceman makeup and all.

He's been with the band ever since and has been part of the band's most lucrative tours.

That's why he's worth about $10 million.

Tommy Thayer's Lake House

Thayer, a native of Portland, Oregon, owned this lake house in Westlake Village, California, for 12 years.

He bought it in 2008 for $1.815 million and sold it in early October 2020 for $2.7 million.

Lovin' It Loud

The guitarist might love it loud on stage, but his home is more reserved.

The 4,500-square-foot home has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms and classic style.

Lakeside Living

The Mediterranean-style house sits on Lake Sherwood and has beamed and barreled ceilings, wood floors, tons of large windows and an open floor plan.

The Kitchen

The country-style kitchen features extensive use of wood, a farmhouse sink and a marble-topped center island.

Thayer might be Kiss' least controversial group member. Before being offered Frehley's spot, he did some behind-the-scenes managerial work with the band and helped write their "Kisstory" book.

The most controversial thing he did was wear the Spaceman makeup, but that wasn't even his choice.

The Office

Thayer married Amber Peek, then 24 years old, in 2006. She makes and sells jewelry online.

Thayer is now 60 years old. In addition to his work with Kiss, he sells branded Epiphone guitars and donates the royalties to a children's hospital.

The Master Bedroom

Master bedroom with built-in bookshelf dividing wall

The master bedroom is spacious, with a dividing wall and a built-in bookshelf separating a lounging area from the sleeping quarter.

The Master Bathroom

The master bathroom features the same kind of wooden cabinetry found in the kitchen, along with tile flooring, a large step-in shower and a porcelain clawfoot tub in front of a large picture window overlooking the lake.

Ace Frehley's Net Worth

Ace Frehley has had a longstanding, acrimonious feud with Stanley and Simmons that dates back to the early 1980s.

While he has only reunited with Kiss twice, he was part of the group during its most popular years and is worth an estimated $1 million.

He's also had some money issues.

Ace Frelhey's Former Home

Ace Frehley's house in Wilton, Connecticut

Frehley lived in this home in Wilton, Connecticut, in 1978. He and his wife, Jeanette, owned the house until the mid-1980s.

"I paid only about $350,000 for the house and property, but I put another million into it," he writes in his memoir, "No Regrets," saying he added "beautiful landscaping, stone walls with wrought-iron gates and a cobblestone bridge with a waterfall."

He stocked the small pond on the property with trout, which he turned into lunch.

The Fireplace

When Frehley owned the place, that 20-foot fireplace was made out of stone and quartz.

It has since been refitted into more stately brickwork to match the new modern country stylings.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is oddly enormous. The house itself is large, measuring 6,413 square feet, but this kitchen doesn't really fit.

It's commercial-like, with three fridges/freezers and lots of cold metal.

Ace in the Hole

Ace Frehley's converted recording studio

Notably, this property is where Frehley built a recording studio, called Ace in the Hole. It has since been converted into a play space/garage with room for seven cars.

"The best thing about the Wilton estate was the recording studio I built right next to the house," Frehley writes. "It was unique and could be accessed either from the outside through a wall of glass, brick, and an 18-foot-tall solid oak door, or through the basement of the home."

According to the old listing, rumor has it that Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead also used the studio.

A Jag on the Fireplace

Ace Frehley's former home in Wilton, Connecticut

When Frehley owned the house, it had "marble bathrooms and gold and crystal chandeliers" and a basement with "the front end of a vintage purple Jaguar above the brick fireplace and a barroom with a giant projection television, pool table and professionally equipped wet bar."

Looks like that "Pulp Fiction" art might be covering up where the Jaguar used to be.

Living in San Diego

Frehley, who grew up in the Bronx in New York City, now lives in San Diego. He faced some foreclosure problems in 2013, when a bank foreclosed on a house he owned in Yorktown, New York, allegedly owing over $700,000 in mortgage payments, late charges and interest.

Almost a year later, that same house caught fire and was badly damaged.

The house sold for $330,000 in 2015.

Still Feuding with Kiss

Frehley is still feuding with Stanley and Simmons. Simmons gave an interview with Guitar World in 2019 where he talked about the unreliability of both Criss and Frehley, saying they were "never going to be in Kiss again."

Frehley then took to social media and accused Simmons of sexually harassing his wife, writing the Kiss singer "groped my wife and propositioned her in Los Angeles at the Capitol Records building behind my back, when I was trying to help you out at one of your 'Vault Experiences' which I only found out about several weeks later...she was planning on pursuing a suit against you, but I told her to call it off!!!"

Frehley went on to call Simmons "an a--hole and a sex addict who's being sued by multiple women."

Doesn't look like those two will kiss and make up anytime soon.