Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons, distinct from the Kiss bassist of the same name, scored a 1964 novelty smash reaching number 11 with “Haunted House,” yet his truest allegiance lay with the earthy rock, soul, and country sounds flourishing in Memphis. Originally from Tupelo, Mississippi, he settled in that city after cutting rockabilly sides for Sun Records, though the label ultimately released only a single track from those recordings. In the early 1960s he signed with Hi, where he laid down multiple singles plus one album; none fared as well as “Haunted House,” and his final 45 for the imprint appeared in 1966. Simmons’s white Southern R&B recalled the approach of Roy Head, Bruce Channel, and the post-rockabilly Dale Hawkins, yet lacked their raw edge. Even so, his engaging style helped deliver the label some of its earliest commercial traction.