KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons will be recognizing their former bandmates at the upcoming Rock And Roll
Hall Of Fame ceremony next April at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Among the other inductees in the 2014 class are Peter Gabriel, NIRVANA, Linda Ronstadt, Daryl Hall & John Oates, and Cat Stevens. Although Simmons has sworn off ever reuniting with KISS co-founders Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, he tweeted a heartfelt message to all past and present members of KISS congratulating them on the honor: “Congratulations to Ace–Peter–Eric Carr (RIP)- Vinny–Mark (RIP)- Bruce–Tommy–Eric Singer & my partner Paul. And mostly, to The KISS ARMY.”
Seeing as how Simmons thanked former members Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick, many fans are already bracing themselves for a possible performance of all living members of KISS at the Rock Hall. Drummer Eric Carr died in 1991 at age 41 of heart cancer and guitarist Mark St. John died in 2007 at age 51 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Gene Simmons told Rolling Stone: “KISS is Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. It’s like, if you introduced me to your wife and I go, ‘Wait, where are all the other wives?’ It’s like, ‘Yeah, I was married to them and now I’m here.'”
He went on to say that he was open to performing with Criss and Frehley at the ceremony, stating: “They were equally important in the formation of the band. When you have kids with your first wife, you give kudos. The fact you got remarried doesn’t delete or minimize the important. Hey, ‘You have gave birth to this thing, KISS, with Ace, Peter, Paul and Gene.'”
The Pulse Of Radio asked Paul Stanley whom we could expect to be onstage on April 10 performing at the Rock Hall induction ceremony. “It’s way too early to get into that,” he said. “Y’know, today is really, for us, a day to celebrate everything KISS has been and is. There’s no getting around, or nobody would want to get around, the fact that Peter, Ace, Gene, and I, built a foundation, which has stood the test of time and allowed us to build a monument for 40 years. So today is a day I wholeheartedly embrace and, y’know, acknowledge Peter and Ace — and likewise, a lot of people who have been in the band and also standing by the band — and that includes the fans.”
The Pulse Of Radio asked Stanley who, if any, of the past and present members of KISS he’s spoken to since hearing the news. “I’ve only spoken to Gene and that will get remedied and rectified today. ‘Cause this is a day to celebrate and a day where I want to make sure that everybody who’s due a congratulations and a little time remembering what we’ve done and what we’re doing, will be contacted.”
Paul Stanley went on to tweet that his memoir, “Face The Music: A Life Exposed” is set for publication April 22, also posted about reaching out to Peter Criss. “We just spoke with Peter. Whatever ongoing issues, no way to not share in celebrating what we started 40 years ago.”