GENE SIMMONS Is Doing 'Okay' After Falling Ill During Concert, Blames Dehydration And Humidity

Gene Simmons is doing "okay" after he had to take a break and play sitting down during Wednesday night's KISS performance in Manaus, Brazil. Gene's KISS bandmate Paul Stanley told the crowd that the bassist/vocalist was sick. Simmons's illness reportedly forced the band to halt the show for several minutes, but that he was eventually able to finish the performance.

Earlier today, Gene issued the following update on his condition via Twitter: "Ok, kids. Not a big deal. Thanks for your kind wishes. Last night we played Amazon jungle Stadium/Brazil. Humidity and temperature were sky high. I was dehydrated and was forced to sit for a song. We got back on stage in 5 minutes & finished the show."

Christina Vitagliano, the founder of KISS Monster Mini Golf in Las Vegas, as well as the coordinator at Gene Simmons Axe Ltd., wrote in a separate post: "Hey everyone, The big guy is ok! Apparently, extreme humidity, bad food, and a stage full of fire don't mix well when you're dressed head-to-toe in a Demon costume. All is good. Gene's tough!"

According to the Brazilian news site G1, Simmons asked at one point during the show for a member of the road crew to bring him a chair. From that point on, he performed the set while sitting down.

Before KISS took a short break during the concert, Stanley told the crowd: "We're gonna have to stop to take care of him, 'cause we love him, right? Let's give Gene a really loud 'Gene'." He then added that he and his bandmates would return to the stage "a little bit later."

According to Brazilian journalist Igor Miranda, KISS came back on approximately five minutes later, with Gene greeting the audience in Portuguese: "Manaus, all right!", adding "Thank you."

Some media outlets and fans had speculated that heat exhaustion contributed to Gene feeling unwell. According to the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET),the temperature in Manaus at the time of the concert was between 26.9 degrees Celsius (80.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.