GENE SIMMONS SENDS MESSAGE TO ISRAEL
Gene Simmons sendsmessage to Israel
JERUSALEM -- The flamboyant, Israeli-born rocker Gene Simmons has sent a televised message of support to an Israeli soldier seriously wounded in fighting in Lebanon, calling him his "hero."
Simmons, 57, founded the heavy metal band Kiss in the 1970s and became famous for wearing white and black face makeup, spitting fire and sticking his tongue out at sold-out elaborate performances.
Simmons, the band's bass player, was born Chaim Witz in the northern Israeli city of Haifa before emigrating to New York as a child.
Simmons sent a video message this week to Ron Weinreich, an Israeli soldier and die-hard Kiss fan, who was seriously wounded in Israel's 34-day fight with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Weinreich remains hospitalized and is paralyzed from the chest down. Above his hospital bed, a Kiss poster is spread across the wall.
Weinreich's brother had his wedding relocated this week to the hospital, so his brother could attend. At the wedding, the surprise recording was played.
"Hi Ron, this is Gene Simmons. I'm talking to you from my home. I can't tell you how proud I am of you, and how much the world and Israel owes you a debt of gratitude," he said. "From the bottom of my heart, you are a real hero, you are everybody's hero, you are my hero and I wish I could be there with you."
Suddenly switching to confident Hebrew, Simmons added: "My name is Chaim, I was born in Haifa."
He concluded by saying in English: "I wish you my best, a happy life and I hope the wedding comes off and everybody should honor you because you are a real hero."
Vieira concentrateson future, not past
NEW YORK -- Meredith Vieira says she doesn't watch "The View" now that she's poised to become the co-anchor of NBC's "Today" show on Sept. 13.
"I needed to think ahead," she said in an interview published in Time magazine on Sunday. "But I have to admit, the day after Star made her announcement, I watched. I feel very sad for everything that's happened and for everybody involved."
Star Jones Reynolds left "The View" in June after the announcement that Rosie O'Donnell will take over the moderator chair of the program.
Vieira, who was "The View" moderator for nine years, said she was proud of her work at the popular daytime talk show and feels it has taken a turn for the worse.
"It's hard to watch. It sort of became a joke," she told the magazine.
Though she turned down a job on CBS's "Early Show" in 2002, Vieira said, she couldn't turn her back on the opportunity to co-host the "Today" show.
"It's an institution," she said. "I'm not somebody who loves getting up at 4 in the morning, so this might kill me, but we'll see."
Today's birthdays
Country singer Billy Grammer is 81. Actor Ben Gazzara is 76. Actor Ken Jenkins is 66. Former Defense Secretary William S. Cohen is 66. Actor David Soul is 63. Baseball manager Lou Piniella is 63. Actress Alice Playten is 59. Singer Wayne Osmond (The Osmonds) is 55. Actor Daniel Stern is 49. Olympic gold medal figure skater Scott Hamilton is 48. Actress Emma Samms is 46. Country singer Shania Twain is 41. Actor Billy Boyd ("The Lord of the Rings") is 38. Actor Jack Black is 37. Actor Jason Priestley is 37. Olympic gold medal swimmer Janet Evans is 35. Actor J. August Richards is 33. Rock singer-musician Max Collins (Eve 6) is 28. Actress Carly Pope is 26. Country singer LeAnn Rimes is 24. Actor Michael Galeota is 22.
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