Monthly Archives: October 2025

Were you at the KISS concert at Delta College in 1974?

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On Nov. 10, 1974, legendary rock band KISS brought its “Hotter Than Hell” tour to the Pioneer Gymnasium at Delta College — and we want to hear from those who were there.

If you attended that unforgettable concert — or have photos, ticket stubs, or stories to share — we’d love to talk with you. Whether you remember the fire, the face paint, or the sheer volume, your memories can help us relive one of the loudest nights in local rock history.

Please contact Dave Clark at david.clark@hearst.com or (989) 839-4240 to share your experiences or photos from the show.

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Hear Kiss Go Country on Previously Unreleased Song ‘Mistake’

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A long-lost Kiss song named “Mistake” has just been released by the band as part of their new Dressed to Kill box set.

The Paul Stanley-penned number – which you can hear below – finds the band making a surprising and pleasant detour into country and western music, complete with an upbeat ending instrumental hoedown.

“Mistake” is one of two previously unreleased studio tracks on the new box set, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the band’s third album with a disc full of alternate takes and two complete, unedited 1975 concerts from the same tour that resulted in the band’s career-making Alive! album.

The other is the yet another (and presumably the earliest) version of Gene Simmons‘ song “Burning Up With Fever,” which also appeared in demo form on the recent expanded box set for 1976’s Destroyer and was finally officially released on Simmons’ 1978 solo album.

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KISS Spaceman Boots On Sale at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!

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Spaceman must be from outer space. The way he shreds his guitar through song after song, producing pure rock and roll energy out of his fingers? The way he struts around the stage in the silvery outfit, making the crowd go wild? Well, there’s no way he’s just a mere human. Maybe he comes from the moon… with the mission to rock the world to its core!

Well, now you can channel some of that Spaceman energy for yourself when you step into these KISS Spaceman Boots for men. They’re officially licensed and they also officially rock from here to outer space.

Order now at KISSArmyWarehouse.com!

 

Taylor Swift, KISS’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, LL Cool J, David Byrne, and More Among Nominees for the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame

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David Byrne, Taylor Swift, Kenny Loggins, LL Cool J, P!nk, Sarah McLachlan, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley of Kiss are among the nominees for induction into the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame. The 2026 Performer nominees also include The Go-Go’s Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine, and Jane Wiedlin, Richard Carpenter of the Carpenters, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings of the Guess Who, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America, Boz Scaggs, and Harry Wayne Casey, KC of KC and the Sunshine Band.

Nominees will be chosen for induction and celebrated during the 2026 Induction & Awards Gala in New York City. A songwriter with a “catalog of notable songs” qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Eligible voting members have until midnight Eastern on Dec. 4 to turn in ballots with their choices of up to three nominees each from the Songwriter and Performing Songwriter categories.

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KISS’ Peter Criss teases Halloween announcement

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KISS drummer and founding member Peter Criss appears to be teasing some news.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, who left KISS in 1980, posted a new black-and-white teaser on YouTube that opens with images of a skyline on a rainy night, and then moves to what appears to be a rundown building with cobwebs on the walls, with crates on the ground that read “Criss.”

As a flash of lightning strikes across the sky, the image of a building that reads “Criss Incorporated” comes into view, with the images of cat eyes in the background, an obvious reference to his KISS Catman persona.

The clip ends with the date “October 31, 2025” on the screen, followed by the logos for two record labels, Flatiron Recordings and Silvercraft Records, Inc.

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KISS Head of Security Dies After ‘Brutal Fight’ With Cancer

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KISS has suffered another blow … Danny Francis, the legendary band’s head of security, has passed away.

Co-lead vocalist, Paul Stanley, 73, made the announcement on X, writing, “Danny Francis, my dear friend, assistant and so much more for 30 years of tours and life has died after a brutal fight with liver cancer. He was loved by Erin and all my children and his kindness was given to everyone he came in contact with. My condolences to his entire family.”

Gene Simmons Calls out Jewish Hollywood Celebrities Pushing Anti-Israel Propaganda: ‘They’re Idiots’

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Kiss rocker Gene Simmons called out Jewish Hollywood celebrities pushing “incendiary” anti-Israel propaganda. “They don’t understand, they’re just idiots,” the “I Love It Loud” singer said.

“Hey guys, my name is Haim, born in Haifa,” Simmons said in Hebrew, before switching to English, adding, “I’m one of you guys, so don’t worry about all the Jewish morons who are running around saying all kinds of incendiary things. They don’t understand, they’re just idiots.”

“If they spent a day with you, and saw — well, imagine this, you live in Beverly Hills and 35,000 rockets come in that week from Pasadena, what do you think would happen to Pasadena? It would be a parking lot,” Simmons continued.

The Kiss rocker added that “people here don’t understand how small the country is. Within two hours, you can go from one side, all the way to the Mediterranean.”

“So it’s a very small country, and they don’t have time to sit down and figure out which one’s the good guy and which one’s the bad guy,” Simmons said.

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Ace Frehley’s Confession on How Much Money His Exit From KISS Cost Gene And Paul Revealed

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Late guitarist Ace Frehley once discussed the financial impact of his departure from KISS. According to a resurfaced interview from Musicians Institute, Frehley explained the circumstances that led to his decision to leave the iconic rock band in the early 1980s.

Frehley described his time in KISS during the 1970s as an overwhelming experience. Constant touring, substance abuse, and exhaustion marked this period. He revealed that despite the band’s success, his mental health was deteriorating.

“KISS in the ’70s was just like this roller-coaster ride for me. I was holding on for dear life. We were just constantly busy, and the drugs and the alcohol and all the partying in conjunction with that type of schedule just started to get to me. By the early ’80s, I just wanted to jump off the roller coaster because I thought I was going to crash,” Frehley said.

The guitarist explained that when he consulted with his lawyer about leaving the band, he faced a difficult choice. At that time, KISS had just secured a $15 million contract. However, Frehley’s personal well-being was at stake.

“I was sitting in my lawyer’s office prior to quitting the band. We had just gotten a $15 million contract. I’m talking to my lawyer, going, ‘$15 million, that’s great, but every night I drive home to Connecticut, I want to drive my car into a tree because I’m not happy.’ He goes, ‘Okay, Ace, I hear that, but it’s $15 million.’ After about a half an hour I said, ‘Look, you cannot spend money six feet under,’” Frehley recalled.

Frehley’s departure had significant financial consequences for the remaining band members. The contract terms required at least three of the four original KISS members to remain in the band. Since Peter Criss had already left, Frehley’s exit triggered a clause that cut the contract in half.

“Unfortunately, when I left, they lost $7.5 million, which I feel bad about because the contract stated at least three of the four [original] members had to be in the band. They [had already] let Peter [Criss, drums] go, so when I decided to quit, I cut the contract in half and it went from $15 million to $7.5 [million]. I think they were a little mad at me about that,” he said.

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KISS guitarist Ace Frehley buried in the Bronx with bandmates in attendance

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KISS co-founder Ace Frehley was buried in the Bronx on Wednesday following a private memorial Tuesday, with both events being attended by his former bandmates.

Rock-and-roll historian Eddie Trunk said he was a part of the “small group of family and close friends” — including original KISS members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss — who bid farewell to Frehley with the two separate services this week.

The 74-year-old guitarist died last Thursday in New Jersey after suffering a recent fall that reportedly led to a brain bleed.

“Ace Frehley was laid to rest in a cemetery in the Bronx, New York — of course, where he grew up, very close to where his parents were buried, which were his wishes,” Trunk said in a video posted to Instagram Wednesday.

Trunk didn’t name the specific location, though the Tampa Bay Music News reported he was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.

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ABC to Honor Late KISS Guitarist Ace Frehley With Special Tribute

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ABC will broadcast a tribute to guitar legend Ace Frehley. The KISS star died on Oct. 16 at 74, when a brain bleed from a fall took his life.

Late-night music show Rage will air rare KISS clips. The standout will be their 1980 Countdown set from the top of New York’s World Trade Center. Starting at just past midnight, viewers will see KISS classics and Frehley’s own work.

“We’ll be playing Kiss music videos, including ‘Talk To Me,’ ‘I Was Made for Loving You,’ ‘I Want You,’ ‘Sure Know Something,’ ‘Shout It Out Loud,’ ‘Shandi,’ and Ace’s last official music video appearance for Kiss, ‘Psycho Circus.’ We also have a bunch of solo Ace and Frehley’s Comet clips, including ‘Into The Night,’ ‘Insane,’ and ‘Do Ya,'” wrote ABC’s Rage on Facebook.

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