Paul Stanley’s art at Butler Institute of Art offered these limited edition signed catalog books for a show in September 2023.
Category Archives: KISS News
REVIEW: Ace Frehley overcomes technical difficulties at Allentown Fair; Great White, Quiet Riot fill set with memories
Lastly, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ace Frehley brought his space-age guitar wizardry to the stage with a mix of solo staples and timeless KISS classics.
Frehley opened with KISS’s 1977 “Shock Me” — on which he originally sang lead vocals — and 1974’s “Deuce.”
Technical difficulties marred his set, from what Frehley said were sound dropouts to equipment glitches.
“I got to hear the rest of the band. Don’t blow my f—ing ears out with guitar,” he said as fans erupted with laughter.
“This is what happens, you come here, everything’s supposed to be right, and it’s all f—ed up. We’ll do our best to entertain you guys.”
Indeed, the former KISS guitarist, who left the band for the second time in 2002, powered through his set with humor, grit and plenty of six-string fire (when he could hear himself).
Frehley dedicated 1987’s “Rock Soldiers,” a defiant anthem from his solo years, to veterans and military members in the crowd, and turned to his drummer, Scot Coogan, to lead on vocals for a raucous rendition of KISS’s 1997 single “Love Guns.”
Fans didn’t seem to mind the shift in vocals, seemingly feeling bad for Frehley, who held his own on guitar (the mic not so much).
Yes, despite the hurdles, Frehley’s guitar work remained undeniable, and he turned a night of frustration into perseverance, leaning on his catalog and band.
His solos cut through the noise, reminding fans why he and the other original members of KISS — Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss — will receive Kennedy Center Honors in December.
By the end of the night, the concert by the three groups was less about perfection and more about witnessing a rock survivor prove, once again, that spacemen never let up.
KISS Face Backlash For Snub From Reunion
ISS has announced its upcoming KISS Kruise event in Las Vegas. The announcement has ignited controversy among fans regarding the notable absence of drummer Eric Singer from the non makeup KISS reunion performance, as KISS’ official Instagram posted.
The band’s official announcement focused on promoting the Las Vegas activities schedule for the event.
“It’s time to start mapping out your perfect KISS weekend. KISS KRUISE: Land-locked in Vegas activities schedule is officially LIVE!” the band announced.
Fans quickly expressed disappointment and frustration over Eric Singer’s unexplained absence from the lineup.
Eric Singer Snub Upsets Fans
“I love this band but now… I don’t care of this event,” one fan commented. “Moreover, Eric Singer is disappeared without any explanation… For me, the end of the road is definitely behind us.”
The backlash extended to band leaders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons’ handling of the situation.
“I love how every interview over the last 20 years was Gene and Paul forcing the narrative that Eric and Tommy are SO important and part of KISS,” another fan wrote.
“Then, when it doesn’t matter anymore, Eric’s tossed aside with no care or explanation.”
Gene Simmons Reveals the TV Career He Declined Because KISS Tour Paid Better
Gene Simmons recently shared details about a television opportunity he turned down in the early 1980s. He revealed his decision was purely financial in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The KISS frontman explained how he chose touring over a potential TV series after consulting with his business manager about the financial implications.
“ABC, in the early 80s offered me a TV series called GROTUS,” Simmons said. “I was going to do it until the business manager told me how much more I’d make on tour.”
“So I went on tour and didn’t do the series,” he continued. “Oh well.”
This revelation sheds light on the calculated business decisions that have defined Simmons’ career. The timing was particularly significant during a period when KISS was experiencing substantial commercial success.
From Auschwitz to KISS: The Survivor Who Raised Gene Simmons
Before being KISS’s frontman, Gene Simmons was Chaim Weitz—the son of Holocaust survivor Flóra Klein. This is the story of her courage, sacrifice, and their journey from Auschwitz to arena rock.
Some stories are so improbable, they almost defy belief. A teenage girl in Hungary loses her entire family in Auschwitz, endures slave labor, and somehow survives. She builds a new life out of the ashes, immigrates with her only child to America, and raises him as a single mother in Queens. That boy, once a lonely immigrant struggling with English, would one day breathe fire, spit blood, and command stadiums of screaming fans as one of the most recognizable rock stars in the world.
This is the astonishing story of Flóra Klein—Holocaust survivor, single mother, and the quiet force behind Gene Simmons, co-founder of the legendary band KISS.
Flóra’s Early Life
Flóra Klein was born in 1925 in the small Hungarian village of Jánd. She grew up in a traditional Jewish home in the vibrant Jewish world of Hungary. But by her teenage years, that world was collapsing.
After Nazi Germany occupied Hungary in 1944, Jewish life changed overnight. Living in Budapest, Flóra was forced to wear the yellow star, restricted by curfews and regulations. “I was not allowed to leave my apartment without this badge for Jews,” she later recalled. The laws were humiliating, but far worse was coming.
Her father and brother were deported first, sent to forced labor camps. They never returned. Soon after, Flóra and her mother were rounded up, herded onto cattle cars, and sent east. The journey ended at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
When the doors opened, they were met by snarling dogs and guards barking orders. A Nazi officer gestured with a flick of his hand—left or right. Life or death. Flóra’s mother was sent to the gas chambers. Fourteen-year-old Flóra was directed to forced labor.
Auschwitz and Survival
At Auschwitz, Flóra’s job was to sort through the belongings of Jews who had been killed. She handled wedding rings, shoes, children’s toys, heartbreaking remnants of lives cut short.
She endured typhus, malnutrition, and bitter winters with almost no clothing. When she was later transferred to Ravensbrück, another notorious camp, she had already witnessed enough horror for a lifetime. But she pressed on.
On May 5, 1945, U.S. soldiers of the 11th Armored Division liberated Ravensbrück. Flóra weighed barely 70 pounds. She was just 19.
The war had stolen her family and her childhood but not her will to live.
CREEM Publications, June/July ‘83
Gene Simmons Slams ‘Entitled’ Gen Z, ‘You Don’t Deserve Healthcare or Free Living’
KISS frontman Gene Simmons recently made controversial remarks about Generation Z, criticizing what he perceives as their sense of entitlement in comments shared on The HoneyDew Podcast.
The rock legend’s statements focused on work ethic and generational attitudes toward earning money and benefits.
“Neither [my son] Nick nor [my daughter] Sophie ever got — what is it called? — allowances, where you give your kids money for nothing,” Simmons said. “No. You want money? You’ve gotta do something. Do this. I don’t know — mow the lawn, clean this, do that. Then you understand the value of it. And then you don’t have to say ‘thank you’. You don’t owe anybody money.”
Simmons continued his critique by targeting what he called the “entitled generation.”
“The love of labor… If you can get that into the thick skulls of — what’s the new generation? Generation X? What is it? … Generation fucked up,” he said. “The entitled generation. ‘Cause if you go through your whole life getting your palm greased, which used to mean you get money for nothing, when you turn 18 or 20, whenever it is that you’re on your own, you get entitled: ‘Hey, I deserve healthcare.’ No, actually, you don’t. ‘I deserve free living.’”
Paul Stanley, Eric Singer & Tommy Thayer SIGNED Green Sonic Boom LP at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!
LP is almost impossible to find. This is the real one NOT a bootleg copy.
KISS Sonic Boom LP Green Vinyl Autographed by Paul Stanley Eric Singer Tommy Thayer. All were obtained in person by Tom Shannon. This is 100% real Sonic Boom LP.
PAUL STANLEY DECLARES THAT, “I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN’ YOU,” IS KISS’ BIGGEST SONG OF ALL TIME
KISS frontman Paul Stanley, tweeted the following on his X account:
“THE BIGGEST KISS SONG OF ALL TIME IS… I Was Made for Lovin’ You with 1.3 BILLION total streams on Spotify as of late August and approximately 850 THOUSAND daily streams!! Amazing and THANK YOU!”
According to blabbermouth.net, although I Was Made For Lovin’ You was a huge chart success for KISS 40 years ago, it was maligned by many of the group’s fans who didn’t appreciate the track’s disco beat…
…In 2018, [KISS bassist/vocalist Gene] Simmons said that he hated performing I Was Made For Lovin’ You because he is forced to sing like his grandmother. Asked in an interview with OK! magazine to name a song that he wasn’t initially crazy about that ended up becoming a hit, Simmons said,”…’ I hate playing that song to [this] day. Stadiums full of people jump up and down like biblical locusts — they go nuts — with tattoos and grills on… ‘Ahhhh!’ They’re all jumping up and down, and I’m going, ‘Do, do, do, do, do, do… Kill me now.’ Still — still to this day I hate that song.”
After the female interviewer pressed him on whether the song ever grew on him after performing it for the last four decades, he said, “Well, how about you sing that song? You’re a girl. I wanna sing guy stuff.”
As a fan, did you ask for this? Is KISS Leaving Diehard KISS Fans Behind with the World of Tanks Announcement, How Do You Feel?
HoneyDew Podcast #347 | Gene Simmons – God of Thunder
50 years ago, KISS rocked a small Michigan town; today, Cadillac rocks again
CADILLAC — On an October morning in 1975, Cadillac became the loudest small town in America.
The football field was likely in the decor of the autumn season as autumn leaves were brightly colored and the faint smell of popcorn filled the stands. The high school gym echoed from amplifiers, and, in the heart of the homecoming parade, four men in black leather, platform boots and face paint waved to a stunned but excited crowd.
It was KISS — yes, that KISS — strutting through a northern Michigan town better known for lumber history than for hosting rock legends.
That visit put Cadillac on the map of rock-and-roll destinations, and, during an upcoming October weekend, the city is preparing to rock and roll all night and party every day.
While the story is steeped in Cadillac and rock history, if you haven’t heard it before, here’s a quick recap.
The band’s visit wasn’t a fluke; it was the payoff to an unlikely football turnaround. A year earlier, the Cadillac High School Vikings had stumbled out of the gate in 1974 with two straight losses — a shock after their undefeated season the year before.
Assistant Coach Jim Neff, looking for a spark, decided the team needed more than pep talks — they needed power chords. He dropped the needle on the band’s records, filling the locker room with KISS anthems before games and practices.
The Vikings won their next seven games and shared the conference championship.
When Neff wrote to thank the band, KISS did more than write back — they showed up.
ACE FREHLEY FUNKO POP THE SPACEMAN KISS #123 SIGNED in BLUE at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!
Ace Frehley Signed Funko Pop! This was signed backstage in Cleveland at the House of Blues after his show on 8/4/19.
Desmond Child Describes The Hilarious Way Gene Simmons Of KISS Apologized To Him
20% OFF SALE AT KISSARMYWAREHOUSE.COM!
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Dressed To Kill Airbrush Wood Framed Poster at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!
Great official poster featuring the Dressed To Kill artwork airbrushed! Poster measures 24×36 inches. Poster and frame made of wood. Impossible to find now.