Paul Stanley has once again said that he believes KISS can carry on without any original members.
More than a year ago, the legendary rockers launched their second farewell tour, dubbed “End Of The Road”, which is scheduled to end in July 2021. Joining founding members Stanley and Gene Simmons in the band’s current lineup are Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums. Thayer and Singer are replacements for original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, respectively.
Asked by Sioux City Journal whether he thinks KISS could one day exist without him and Simmons, Stanley said: “There was a time when people said, ‘KISS has to be the original four members.’ Well, those people are 50 percent wrong. And all of this is conjecture. I’m not walking away from what Gene and I have built over 45 years. I’m of the mindset that teams don’t fold because their star pitcher or star hitter is gone. There’s an amazing pool of talent out there. Can it continue? Absolutely.”
It was back in 2005 that KISS manager Doc McGhee first told the New York Times that the group had “been toying with the idea of recruiting an entire band to don the band’s famous makeup.” McGhee said: “KISS is more like Doritos or Pepsi, as far as a brand name is concerned. They’re more characters than the individual person. I think [new members] have a legitimate chance to carry the franchise.”