CADILLAC — Is something in the works for October that commemorates Cadillac’s role in rock ‘n’ roll history?
The obvious answer is yes, but for now, what it is remains shrouded in mystery. On Oct. 10, Cadillac will celebrate the 50th anniversary of KISS visiting the city. The website www.kisscadillac.com currently displays only the October date and invites people to sign up for email updates.
While there are about nine months to speculate — and many will — nothing has been officially announced beyond what’s on the KISS Cadillac website. During the 40th anniversary celebration in 2015, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons released a video message for Cadillac, as they were unable to attend due to the band’s tour in Australia.
With KISS no longer touring, could Stanley and Simmons come to Cadillac? Only time will tell.
The Cadillac News reached out to Jim Neff, who played a role in the band’s visit nearly 50 years ago, but he did not immediately respond. Marci Hensley of the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau said they are still in the early stages of planning.
She said the Oct. 10 date was shared to allow people to save the date.
She also said the visitors bureau is working with Neff and Cadillac Area Public Schools to plan the event. The best thing people can do is sign up for the newsletter at kisscadillac.com and wait for updates in the coming weeks and months, Hensley said.
For those unfamiliar with the connection between Cadillac and KISS, the band visited the northern Michigan town in 1975 after forming a friendship with Cadillac High School and its football team.
After a slow start in 1974, the team began playing KISS records in the locker room to stay loose. The band heard about it and wanted updates on the team’s progress. The Vikings then won their final seven games. In October 1975, Cadillac High School made rock ‘n’ roll history when KISS played at the school’s homecoming.
