When Kiss lumbered on to the scene in 1974 with their self-titled debut album, no one could’ve predicted how much a part of popular culture their bat-winged, fire-breathing, blood-drooling totem, Gene Simmons, would become. When Simmons – born Chaim Witz in Israel, the son of Hungarian Jews – relocated to New York at a young age he immediately embraced the American dream. As Kiss’s career exploded – quite literally – the bassist/vocalist proved he was no shock-rock novelty act, masterminding an extensive merchandising range and helping transform the band into a global business.

Simmons’s larger-than-life personality helped him inveigle his way into rarefied social circles, and he enjoyed unlikely love affairs with a couple of the world’s top female singers. In 2010, Gene looked back on several of the (non-sexual) encounters he’d had with the great and good of rock’n’roll, Hollywood and even the White House.

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A Los Angeles news station got a dose of star power when Gene Simmons crashed a local weather report. On Thursday, the legendary Kiss vocalist and bassist made an unexpected appearance on Fox 11 Los Angeles, joining meteorologist Adam Kruger to help deliver the week’s forecast.

“You look much better in real life than you do on TV,” Simmons quipped to Krueger. When Krueger assured Simmons he looks good in both, Simmons (decked out in sunglasses and leather pants) joked: “I know that.”

The “God of Thunder” singer reported on citywide showers, but he and Krueger assured viewers that sunny skies were ahead, even sneaking in a few Kiss lyrics. “This weekend it’s looking pretty good if people want to rock and roll all night,” Krueger said, a nod to the 1975 track “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

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On April 25, 2025, Raven Drum Foundation will bring together an all-star lineup at New York City’s famed Cutting Room to support first responders and veterans for the second year in a row.

Founded in 2001 by Rick Allen, drummer of DEF LEPPARD, and his wife, healing arts educator and musician Lauren Monroe, Raven Drum Foundation brings musicians, health educators, and the philanthropic community together to serve the healing of first responders and veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress. With the core philosophy that when music, intention, and healing wisdom all meet on the paths of neurobiology and psychology, we harmonize our inner mental and emotional states to effect positive change, the foundation provides mind, body, and drumming integrated workshops incorporating evidence-based techniques such as guided visualization, breathwork, and heart-brain coherence education to support wellness, and regulation of the human nervous system.

Together with first responder organizations Friends Of Firefighters and First Responder Resiliency Inc., artists will raise funds for proactive resiliency education, counseling, and holistic care programs addressing post-traumatic stress.

In addition to performances by an all-star band and a silent auction of rock memorabilia, the Legacy Award will be presented to humanitarian and artist Peter Criss — the original Catman and co-founder of KISS. Joining Criss, Allen and Monroe onstage will be THE JOE BOUCHARD BAND with Albert Bouchard (former members of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT) featuring Mickey Curry (HALL & OATES, BRYAN ADAMS),MOUNTAIN‘s Corky Laing, R&B legend Bernard Purdie, “Saturday Night Live”‘s Christine Olhman, Shawn Pelton, Carlton Jumel Smith, Ricky Byrd (JOAN JETT),Devon Maria (DEBBIE GIBSON),Kasim Sulton (JOAN JETT, TODD RUNDGREN) and surprise guests, as well as emcees Maria Milito of Q104.3 and musical director Billy Amendola.

Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now. Please visit RavenDrumFoundation.org for more information.

Criss, who turned 79 in December, first left KISS in 1980. Since then he’s worked with other bands and released solo albums. He teamed up with KISS again for a reunion tour in the 1990s and most recently in 2004. He was replaced by Eric Singer.

Criss has claimed that his contract with KISS wasn’t renewed in March 2004. That charge has been disputed by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

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KISS manager Doc McGhee, guitarist Tommy Thayer (AKA Spaceman), and audio archivist Dan Johnson explain how it comes together.

“You can’t just throw stuff out, you have to make it special, so people say, ‘I love this!’ If you can do that, you’re on to a winner.” KISS manager Doc McGhee knows a thing or two about what the band’s devoted fanbase, The KISS Army, want from their heroes. McGhee became KISS’ manager back in 1995, a pivotal time for the band. With McGhee’s guidance, KISS began to embrace their past – their “remasking” and reunion tour paved the way for a massively successful few decades of sell-out tours and huge-selling, back-to-basics albums.

Of course, KISS fans have long been spoilt for choice with all manner of band-branded memorabilia, from Pez dispensers to coffins. McGhee estimates that over 3,000 items of official KISS merchandise have been released worldwide over the years. The manager sees it as an integral part of KISS’ appeal, “I’ve had some of the biggest artists of all time come into my office. They’ll sit there and see a KISS snow globe, pick it up and say, ‘Can I have that?’ There’s just something about KISS and collectibles.”

The Off The Soundboard series

In recent years though, KISS’ archival music has been a major focus. McGhee and the band have started plundering the KISS archive for the Off The Soundboard series of live albums. The releases have delighted fans with their no-frills, back-to-basics approach. Tommy Thayer (AKA Spaceman, official KISS member since 2002) agrees, “We’re famous for packaging, but in this case, you want to present something in a form where it’s more of a bootleg – it’s not a big production in terms of the package. I think people like that the Off The Soundboard series is raw and rough, it definitely brings the focus down on the music and the recording itself.”

How Thayer became a member of KISS is the stuff of Hollywood fantasy. A lifelong fan of the group, the Portland, Oregon-born Thayer formed the glam metal band Black’n’Blue in 1981 and enjoyed local success before signing to Geffen in 1983. By 1985, Black’n’Blue were supporting KISS and Gene Simmons even produced two of their albums. Thayer began collaborating with Simmons in the late 80s and two of the duo’s songs made it onto the 1989 KISS album, Hot In The Shade.

In the early 90s, Thayer was recruited by KISS to work on their coffee table book, Kisstory, which led to him conducting a total inventory of the band’s archives, as Thayer remembers. “I thought, ‘This is a dream job.’ Obviously, they had a lot of material – photos, videotapes, and recordings in all kinds of different formats. When I came on the scene, I went to Paul Stanley’s house in Beverly Hills, and there was a room stacked with these old, dilapidated cardboard boxes that were falling apart. Inside the boxes were binders, filled mainly with 35mm slides. They were just really poorly stored; things hadn’t been cared for properly.

“My job was to start going through these binders and not only select photos for the book but identify what was there and start a crude inventory. I knew KISS inside-out and recognized a lot of the photo shoots, so was able to start making notes and organising them. We put together a digital filing system on Filemaker Pro and would identify each individual item, take a photo of it, and add a description with all the specs.

“Today we have a complete, well-ordered inventory of the KISS archive with almost 10,000 individual items in the database. That includes film, video, and photo sessions. I estimate that we have over 50,000 individual images, starting from the early 70s, up to the present day. This is all stored in a temperature-controlled, professional storage facility in the Los Angeles area. I’d say KISS probably has one of the most comprehensive and sophisticated databases and inventory systems put together for an artist.”

Cleaning up the tapes

Deciding which shows should form part of the Off The Soundboard series is just the beginning of the process. Once plucked from the archive, those tapes are transferred and professionally restored. Dan Johnson of Audio Archiving Services Inc, California, is the man entrusted with this task. Usually, the process is relatively simple. But, as Johnson puts it, “sometimes the tapes don’t cooperate – you never know until you put the tape up on the machine.”

Luckily, tapes that have been damaged over time can be restored by baking them. Literally. “Over time, as the tape ages, it starts sucking in moisture from the environment. And that moisture causes the tape to become sticky. If you try to play the tape on one of these machines, it’ll scrape the oxide which holds the music off the tape. And the tape is pretty much destroyed at that point. So, we put them in a regular food dehydrator for 12 to 15 hours at about 130-135 degrees, and then it has to cool for roughly the same time, and that sucks the moisture out.”

For most of us, the idea of “baking” an extremely fragile and priceless part of musical history would be incredibly daunting, but for Johnson, it’s become part of a day’s work, “When you first start out, everything you do is under a microscope and you think, ‘This is the master tape to KISS’ Destroyer or Led Zeppelin’s debut album or whatever – I don’t want to be known as the guy that screwed up that tape!’ Over time, it becomes more routine, and with experience, you think, ‘OK, I’ve seen this before, I know how to deal with it.’”

As a long-term KISS fan, the chance to work on the Off The Soundboard series has been a dream come true for Johnson, “I used to play in bands when I was a teenager. And every band I was ever in played KISS covers. So, they’ve always been a part of my life. It’s been surreal to work on the KISS master tapes, that’s crazy to me. Never in a million years would I have thought this would happen.”

Johnson has also been impressed by the approach the group has taken to these live shows. “The Off The Soundboard series is especially great because there’s no fixing of anything, they don’t go back in the studio and add more audience or more kick drum or whatever. It is what it is. That’s been really refreshing because I’ve worked on a lot of live releases where the only thing that wasn’t redone in the studio was a hi-hat or a tambourine. It’s great to actually hear actual live recordings that haven’t been tampered with.”

As well as working on the Off The Soundboard series, Johnson was the man behind the audio restoration of 2012’s Super Deluxe Edition of KISS’ 1976 classic, Destroyer, a 4CD and Blu-Ray box set that included the original album newly remastered, demos from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley’s personal archives, studio outtakes, alternate versions/mixes and single edits and a May 1976 live show from Paris.

With the audio receiving Dan Johnson’s expert care, the presentation of the Destroyer box set had to be top-notch. The KISS Army were not let down – the set included a 68-page hardcover book, replica KISS Army newsletters, facsimile press photos, bio sheets, an iron-on KISS logo, stickers, posters, trading cards, a reproduced program and more. “It took probably six months to put it all together,” reveals Doc McGhee. But it’s all worth it, in the end. Preserving the band’s legacy and giving the KISS Army plenty to shout about is of paramount importance to the band, as McGhee explains, “You have to embrace the past. We don’t want to sound like Pearl Jam, we don’t want to sound like Billie Eilish – we want to sound like KISS… One of the great strengths of KISS is that we’re very connected to the KISS Army. Those kids are part of the team.”

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Gene Simmons just couldn’t stay away. KISS may have played its last show in Dec. 2023, but that doesn’t mean Simmons is done with music. Instead, the band’s co-founder put together Gene Simmons Band. The group went on tour in 2024 and will continue to do so this spring and summer.

“I tried to stay away from being on stage, but it’s too much fun,” Simmons told Ultimate Classic Rock. “I thought I was gonna take a few years off after the band I was in for 50 years decided to call it quits.”

You heard it here first: we are on our way to 100 years of Ace, and we couldn’t be happier.

As a member of Kiss and as a solo artist, Ace Frehley has been one of the most celebrated rock guitarists in the world for five decades now. Tri-state fans will get the chance to see his electrifying performance when he and his band play at New York City’s Sony Hall on March 13 – a show that Frehley says is especially important to him because it’s in his hometown (he was born and raised in the Bronx), so he has many friends and family members who will be in attendance that night.

It’s also special to see Frehley in concert because, not that long ago, there was some question about whether he’d be able to continue playing the guitar at all. “I hurt my arm about two-and-a-half years ago – I fell down a flight of stairs,” he tells The Aquarian during a recent phone call. “It’s been a struggle because I landed on my right arm, and that’s the arm that I strum with when I play guitar.” Fortunately, after going through intensive treatment, he feels normal again. “So it feels great to get up onstage because I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to get back to the way it used to be.”

And, he adds, he’s simply excited to play with the musicians who’ve been backing him since 2018. “I always have so much fun when I play with my band – they’ve been killing it!”

When Frehley puts on concerts, he knows he’ll always be expected to play certain songs, such as his signature 1978 hit “New York Groove,” but he says he never grows weary of performing them. “The audience makes it special because every night it’s a different audience, so it’s new to them, unless they’ve seen me play,” he says. “Sometimes I see the same faces following me around, but 97% of the people, they’re all new. And I’ve noticed recently, especially with the release of my last album, [2024’s] 10,000 Volts, that I’m getting a much younger audience, and parents are bringing their teenagers. It’s cool.”

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Kiss’ longest-serving Spaceman on sticking to the Les Paul when it wasn’t cool, the joy of discovering you’ve been playing something wrong for years, why he avoided ’80s-style playing, and what he’s doing next

Though he wasn’t the first, Tommy Thayer was Kiss’ longest-tenured Spaceman. So there’s an argument to be made that, without his 23 years of service, they wouldn’t have made it to the end of the road – but Thayer humbly waves it away.

“It’s just exciting to be in the mix,” he tells Guitar World. “I’ve never considered myself to be in the rarified air of the players I grew up emulating. To be part of the history of one of rock’s greatest bands of all time is a nice feeling. It really doesn’t get any better than that.”

Since Kiss halted touring operations in December 2023, Thayer has played it low-key, though plenty is happening behind the scenes. His passion for playing is as fiery as ever – and he has thoughts on how things have changed since he found that fire.

“In today’s world, there’s too much information available on any subject, and it’s difficult to weed through it all; it’s confusing,” he says. “Go to the music store and try guitars; see what feels most comfortable in your hands.”

He adds: “I think it’s best to try new gear like amps and pedals in a band setting, or at least with other people playing, to get the best feel for what works. Borrow stuff from friends to try things out; that’s what I used to do.

“Listen to lots of music, and don’t be afraid to break the rules. Your tone and your style will evolve – that’s all part of the fun.”

What was the moment as a player where you truly felt you found your sound?

“When we started Black ’N Blue. Before that, I was trying to figure out who I was stylistically and find my footing. It was the same for [vocalist] Jaime St. James. We played together in local bands in Portland from 1978 to 1981 – it felt like forever – before we finally locked into Black ’N Blue.

“I always loved straight-ahead, blues-based ’70s hard rock. I wasn’t interested in much else. I’ve always played a Gibson Les Paul. I was listening to Joe Perry, Ronnie Montrose, Jimmy Page, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson from Thin Lizzy, Mick Ralphs, Billy Gibbons, Davey Johnston and Ace Frehley.

“It was such an exciting time. I wanted to emulate those bands and guitarists; I was consumed by it. One of the first solos I learned was China Grove by the Doobie Brothers. I stayed true to that style throughout the ’80s, which was a bit unusual for the time. Then Slash re-popularized the Les Paul in the late ’80s.”

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Only 250 of these were made.

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Rock legends Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss formed the band KISS in 1973 in New York. In 2023, Simmons chatted with USA TODAY about the final band’s days: “It’s complex. I can sit here in my hotel room and wax poetic about all of this stuff, but those are matters of the mind, the semantics emanating out of my oral passage. You can talk about something but until you’re there, the matters of the heart don’t kick in. There is an enormous sense of pride the band has, including Tommy (Thayer) and Eric (Singer), who have been with us more than 20 years. We’re enormously proud of what we did.”

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Long, successful careers in music can be built by either maintaining a consistent style or by embracing constant change. Gene Simmons, during a conversation with Billy Corgan‘s on “The Magnificent Others” episode, expressed understanding for both career paths.

“I could argue the AC/DC or METALLICA idea, which is, you stay true to your DNA,” Simmons said (as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). “Well, it’s an argument that works well for them. And IRON MAIDEN. We didn’t have a choice because we gave in.

“There were those first records that had, you know, sort of Chuck Berry crossed with this and that: a little BEATLES, a little MOTOWN, a little this, a little that. Whatever that thing was, the identity, the fingerprint, was diluted as members within the band started to veer from the band. There are other bands that have stayed true to who they are and have survived and become bigger. By the way, I don’t do that. I go, ‘That’s their journey. This is ours.’”

Simmons acknowledged that KISS‘s initial attraction extends beyond their music. He also stated that he welcomes fans regardless of what specifically draws them in.

“I prefer to make dollars,” he said. “The only thing I care about is a brand new five year old who experiences Kiss or the imagery, even if it’s not the music, just somehow gets seduced and beguiled by that.”

On December 2, 2023, KISS performed the final concert of their “End Of The Road” farewell tour at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

In a fall 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons emphasized that the band’s final performance on the “End Of The Road” tour would indeed mark their last show.

“My hand on the Bible,” he said. “And I should know because my people wrote that book. In fact, my people also wrote the follow-up book, the New Testament. And so I’ll say right here, right now, my hand on the Bible, it will be the final KISS-in-makeup appearance.”

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Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5 will open his own KISS memorabilia museum to the public this coming May.

Located in Los Angeles, the Knights In Satan Service (KISS) Museum houses more than 2,500 items of memorabilia John 5 has personally collected over the decades.

KISS obsessive John 5 will personally lead the guided tours when they run over four weeks from 5th to 9th May, 12th to 16th May, 19th to 23rd May, and 27th to 30th May.

Unique items on display include the only known pairs of Gene Simmons‘ ‘Destroyer’ boots from 1976 and his first outfit from 1974.

Many of the items are from the gilded KISS era from 1973 to 1983, and this includes banners from the band’s appearance at Woodfield Mall, outside Chicago, in 1974 for the National KISS-Off kissing contest.

Commenting on his museum, John 5 said: “In June 1977, when I was seven years old, my mom took me to Sears where I saw a record store display for KISS’s album ‘Love Gun’.

“I loved monsters and music and begged my mom for the record. Hearing it for the first time was a total epiphany for me. And any time a birthday or Christmas rolled around, I got a new KISS poster or merch.

“Collecting became a huge part of my life. It’s also helped me connect with the world as I’ve found pieces from Argentina to Chile, Taiwan to Japan.”

He continued: “With KISS not touring anymore, the only real place to see this collection and go down memory lane is to come to the museum in Los Angeless. Hang out with me, I’ll answer questions, we’ll talk and I’ll tell stories.”

A guided tour from John 5 at the Knights In Satan Service Museum costs £393, and limited tickets are on sale from his official website now.

Goldmine’s KISS Price Guide features 2,000 listings and 500 color photos of the band’s merchandise. A must-have guide for buyers, sellers and collectors of KISS memorabilia and music. The book offers detailed listings for every U.S. recording, as well as foreign releases. The licensed product section gives dates of manufacture and elaborate descriptions. Looks mint. Stock photo. Signed by author Tom Shannon.

Order now at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!

Very hard to find Endymion KISS Cup from 2017.  In 2017, KISS headlined the Krewe of Endymion’s Extravaganza in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, sharing the bill with Flo Rida and KC and the Sunshine Band, and members of the band also rode in the parade.  See photos for condition.

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