Roman Fernandez | i petitions
OFFICIAL Petition to induct KISS, Billy Idol, and Billy Squier Manager into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Sign the petition at: ipetitions.com/petition/billaucoinhalloffame
June 28th marks the 6th anniversary of the passing of Bill Aucoin, a pioneer in the pantheon of music management. Not only does Mr. Aucoin have the distinctive notoriety of grooming and introducing not one, but three legendary, multi-million selling rock and roll acts to the world – KISS, Billy Idol, and Billy Squier, but he is also credited for erecting one of the first music merchandising empires, an empire that has reigned from the 1970’s to the present day. By trademarking the iconic faces of the original four members of KISS, Aucoin shifted the rock paradigm from a spectator sport, to a collectible zeitgeist that propelled a New York jean band into a global brand with an estimated worth in the billions of dollars.
KISS laid the groundwork for hundreds of rock acts who cite the group as an influence or inspiration of what a rock act should be. The very existence and ongoing popularity of the group 40 years after its inception is a testament to Bill’s astute foresight. A force so unshakeable, he would infamously bet his American Express card to finance the live tour of an act that most in the industry at the time were trying to ignore. In the process, his determination served to engineer one of the most dynamic live shows of the era by enhancing the concert experience in ways that would go on to transcend the rock genre.
If you grew up in the 1980’s, it’s almost impossible to separate this era from the global phenomenon and the anti-hero viscosity that arose from the ashes of the punk-rock movement, Billy Idol. Once again, dismissed by the industry as an outcast, and toxic to his own record label, Aucoin swam upstream and immortalized an unlikely spike-haired rebel. Bill’s keen instinct to pair the sneering, fist-twirler with a virtuoso guitar muse by the name of Steve Stevens proved to be a winning relationship that has defied the test of time, spawned millions of record sales, and continues to captivate audiences.
