I’ve covered popular music for 30 years.
Most managers get in your way and that’s if you’re lucky. I’ve lost track of unreturned phone calls and dark ports, but I won’t forget when the Sun-Times sent me to Toronto to interview singer Robert Palmer. His manager told me that Palmer had throat problems and we would have to put off the conversation for a day. My editors told me to sit tight.
In 1978, there were two things on the minds of boys ages 5 to 16. OK, maybe three. They were KISS, “Star Wars,” and girls. You pick the order they were in for you personally. I was 6, so girls really hadn’t figured into the equation yet.
Girls were on boys’ minds for the obvious reasons. “Star Wars” was popular because it had just been released the year before and blew everyone away with its groundbreaking, never-before-seen special effects and imagery. After only being around since 1973, KISS was the hottest band in the world because of their shockingly explosive on-stage spectacle and look. They had already released several best-selling studio, live, and solo albums. They had t-shirts, stickers, belt buckles, and everything else you can think of with their logo and likenesses plastered on them. The band even had a comic book that featured the members as superheroes that was published through Marvel Comics.
Here’s KISS playing “Two Timer” during soundcheck on the KISS Kruise!
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KISS lead singer Paul Stanley underwent successful surgery for “recurring vocal cord issues” Tuesday that the musician said Wednesday “come with 40 years of preaching rock ‘n’ roll.”
His doctors say Stanley, who’s been touring and recording with KISS for nearly 40 years, will make a “swift and complete” recovery, according to a statement from his publicist.
“I hold myself to a higher standard than others do,” Stanley said. “With that in mind, I wanted to remedy a few minor issues that come with 40 years of preaching rock ‘n’ roll.”
Stanley, 59, is known for his energetic — and loud — shows as front man and guitarist for legendary hard rock group.
KISS, one of the longest-running rock acts, stays busy on the road and in the studio. Stanley is producing “Monster,” their 20th studio album due out in 2012 as they embark on another global tour.
Read an excerpt from Ace Frehley’s book, No Regrets: A Rock N Roll Memoir, which hits book stores November 1st:
Chapter 1: A BRONX TALE
When I was a kid I used to carry around this awful image in my head – a picture of three men tangled awkwardly in high-tension wires, fifty feet in the air, their lifeless bodies crisping in the midday sun.
The horror they endured was shared with me by my father, an electrical engineer who worked, among other places, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, helping with the installation of a new power plant in the 1950s. Carl Frehley was a man of his times. He worked long hours, multiple jobs, did the best he could to provide a home for his wife and kids. Sometimes, on Sunday afternoons after church, he’d pile the whole family into a car and we’d drive north through the Bronx, into Westchester County, and eventually find ourselves on the banks of the Hudson River. Dad would take us on a tour of the West Point campus and grounds, introduce us to people, even take us into the control room of the electrical plant. I’m still not sure how he pulled that one off – getting security clearance for his whole family – but he did. Continue reading
Ace Frehley will make appearances at bookstores across the country to sign copies of his memoir, “No Regrets.”
Nov. 3, New York, NY, Barnes & Noble, 555 Fifth Avenute, Noon
Nov. 4, Ridgewood, NJ, Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Ave, 6PM
Nov. 7, Philadelphia, PA, Barnes & Noble, 1805 Walnut Street, 6 PM
Nov. 10, Chicago, IL, Books A Million , 144 South Clark St., Noon
Nov. 15, Tempe, AZ, Changing Hands, 6428 S. McClintock Drive, 4 PM
Nov. 20, Los Angeles, CA, Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., 4 PM
Ace Frehley will appear at the Chiller Theatre Expo in Parsippany NJ on Saturday, October 29.
Please note that Ace will appear on Saturday only.
Ace Frehley has revealed plans for a solo tour this fall. The founding member and lead guitarist of KISS will perform at Foxboro’s Showcase Live on Monday, October 31. Tickets for the Halloween show are available through Ticketmaster for $27.50.
The show will take place the day before the release of his autobiography, “No Regrets: A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir”. Co-written by New York Times journalist Joe Layden, who also worked with Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine on his autobiography “Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir”, No Regrets’ chronicles Frehley’s remarkable career in music.
When I was a kid, roughly 8 or 9 years old, the only band that mattered was KISS.
The painted faces, the menacing glares, the straight-up, old-school rock ‘n roll. They wanted to rock and roll all night and party every day. And so did we. Or, at least until our moms told us to go to bed.
KISS drummer Peter Criss has posted a collection of his sketchings circa ’75-’76 at his official web site. Check it out here. Click on the thumbnail photos in this link to enlarge and then use your back button on your computer to see more of “Peter’s Sketchings.”
Twenty five years ago, on Oct. 24, 1986, the filmed-in-Wilmington movie “Trick or Treat” was released.
It wasn’t a huge success at the time, but “Trick or Treat” has since become a cult classic among horror and music fans. Both adored and ridiculed – it stars a young Marc “Skippy” Price of TV’s “Family Ties” and features rock stars Gene Simmons of KISS and Ozzy Osbourne of Black Sabbath in small roles – “Trick or Treat” is mentioned on countless horror websites. The entertainment site Ain’t It Cool News recently included it in its celebration of cult Halloween movies.
The Gene Simmons Tongue is now available for Halloween, parties or just plain clowning around. This rubber appendage is eerily realistic as it dances and jiggles like the real thing as you blow air into it! Now in stock and shipping tomorrow! Guaranteed to arrive before Halloween to any U.S. address.
$5.99 at KISSmuseum.com
KISS performs selections from “Music from The Elder,” “Anything For My Baby,” “Two Timer,” “C’Mon and Love Me” in an unplugged jam on the KISS Kruise, 10/13/11.
(“KISS Inc.” airs on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 8 and 11 pm ET as part of a CNN Presents hour.)
“My favorite piece of merchandising is me.”
Gene Simmons, the co-founder of KISS, is taking us on a tour of his home office.
It’s not so much an office, but a gigantic display of everything KISS, the band that started in 1973 and has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
We’re here to see many of the 3,000 items that KISS has licensed, from the coffin sitting locked on the floor, to the colorful condoms hanging on the wall.
Eddie Balandas, whose growling South Side sneer can be heard booming out the intro for the album “KISS Alive II,” died in a fitting way for a former security chief and roadie for the grease-painted rockers.
Mr. Balandas loved to mingle with KISS fans and answer their questions about a band that took Kabuki makeup to a level exceeded only by the group’s longevity – which rivals that of a Galapagos tortoise.
After appearing at the Oct. 9 KISS Expo in Hillside – where the audience greeted him like a favorite uncle – Mr. Balandas rode his motorized scooter back to his suite at the Best Western Hotel.
He was found dead in his room the following day. Mr. Balandas, 59, who had congestive heart failure, had been in declining health.
There comes a time when a fan finds a want to create and give a gift to their favourite band for no more of a reason than to have hopes that the gift is enjoyed by the band. Sadly, no one really knows what happens to the gift after you give them, but this time, I knew! Here is what happened.
Back in July 26, 2011, I had KISS meet and greet tickets at Casino Rama, Ontario and decided to both give a gift and to have the band sign a copy for me to keep. But what to give? I thought the best gift would be a photo I took from the front row at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, Toronto KISS show back in 2010 of Gene making funny faces It was difficult to choose just one photo as they were all quite unique. The best resolve was to create a five pose collage, of sorts, of Gene and then print off two 8 x 10 photos, putting one in a nice black frame (making sure to put my name and address on the back). I called the photo, and very original it was, my “Multi-Gene” photo.
July 26, 2011 Casino Rama KISS meet and greet I was nervous and ecstatic as I waited to present my photo gift to Gene. When it was time for the band to do the rounds and meet with the fans, I presented my gift and asked if he would like to have a copy to keep. Gene stopped, looked at it and then said, “Yes, please.” I asked him to sign a copy for me, of which he gladly did then posed for a photo with me. At this point I was glowing with excitement that I actually presented and Gene accepted my gift.
KISSonline is back from the KISS Kruise, and now that we’re not hindered by a slow 11K satellite internet connection, we’ve got lot of great video to share with you! Check out “Take Me” and “Comin’ Home” from the first night’s show, and “Getaway” from KISS’ second night concert!
Talking Metal will broadcast live tonight from 7 to 10pm on TalkingMetal.com Listeners can tune into the program by using the Live 365 stream A player. Scheduled live guests include Militia from Judas Priestess, Bebe Buell, Chris Black from High Spirits and Ace Frehley.
Ace will be discussing his book and upcoming tour.
“Gene Simmons Family Jewels” fans have been waiting for the two night wedding event of “KISS” front man and Shannon Tweed. The day is here and at 9pm on Monday night October 17th and Tuesday night October 18th, the wedding gets underway after 28 years of being together.
This televised wedding has not been without its controversy from critics saying it was nothing more of a publicity stunt. Even their oldest child Nick Simmons has come out to defend Gene and Shannon’s wedding as being the real thing and not a publicity scam.
With Gene Simmons as the groom, you know this will be no ordinary wedding. This nontraditional wedding event starts with their family dog walking down the aisle ahead of Shannon. He of course was the ring bearer.
“Gene Simmons Family Jewels” fans have been waiting for the two night wedding event of “KISS” front man and Shannon Tweed. The day is here and at 9pm on Monday night October 17th and Tuesday night October 18th, the wedding gets underway after 28 years of being together.
This televised wedding has not been without its controversy from critics saying it was nothing more of a publicity stunt. Even their oldest child Nick Simmons has come out to defend Gene and Shannon’s wedding as being the real thing and not a publicity scam.
With Gene Simmons as the groom, you know this will be no ordinary wedding. This nontraditional wedding event starts with their family dog walking down the aisle ahead of Shannon. He of course was the ring bearer.
“KISS” was there and entertained the wedding guests with a few of their favorite tunes in a very rare performance out of costume! Yes, “KISS” just looked like a bunch of old guys rocking out, the mystique was gone, but if you close your eyes, they’ve never been better.
One source of friction seen on and off since Gene has asked for Shannon’s hand on bended knee was his ability to stay loyal to her. While he says he can and will the problem lies with Shannon, who still has her doubts. They talk about it and they somehow come to an agreement as they do end up as man and wife.
Fans of “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” can catch this two-night wedding event on A&E at 9pm both Monday and Tuesday night.
From: Hartford Examiner
by Roz Zurko
At first glance, the thought of KISS on a cruise ship seems tongue-in-cheek.
But when the first KISS Kruise launched Friday from Miami, it was all business: rocking ‘n’ rolling all night, wearing black and white face paint, and of course sticking your tongue out just like the wet carpet of KISS bassist Gene Simmons.
It’s like being surrounded by 2,000 Venus flytraps.