THE ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME’S PRESIDENT ON THE KISS DRAMA: “I DON’T LIKE ALL THE SNIPING BACK AND FORTH, THOUGH MOSTLY IT’S BEEN FORTH”

kiss-return Andy Greene of Rolling Stone reports:

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s President and CEO Joel Peresman had to deal with the wrath of KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has gone very public with his anger over the Hall of Fame’s decision to only induct the band’s original lineup. “I don’t need the Hall of Fame,” Stanley told Rolling Stone. “And if there’s not reciprocity, I’m not interested. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, practically every member was inducted, and virtually all 175 members of the Grateful Dead. Rules need to apply to everybody.”

“I don’t like all the sniping back and forth, though mostly it’s been forth,” says Peresman. “And I totally understand his point of view. What he’s failing to understand is that there are certain acts that are nominated and brought in on their entire body of work, up until the day before the nominating committee meets. They are still evolving bands that are breaking new ground. With KISS, there wasn’t a single person we spoke to that didn’t feel the reason these guys were being inducted was because of the four original members. It’s an incredibly unique situation. I can’t think of another band, outside of Gwar, that has members that are dressed up in costumes. You basically have these new members that are replicating exactly and playing the music that was created by the two other members that are being inducted.”

KISS has invited current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer to sit at their table, along with former guitarist Bruce Kulick. “I appreciate how Tommy and Eric have filled in and the way they do things,” says Peresman. “They are fine musicians and I’m sure they’re lovely guys, but they are basically replicating the two members that are getting inducted. How could we have asked Ace and Peter to accept the award and then have other people in their guise playing their music? They probably wouldn’t have even come. They were very clear about that. . .Frankly, I’m really, really happy that KISS are being inducted. It should have happened a while ago. The four of them will get up, accept their award, say what they want to say and then we’ll move on.”

Read more at Rolling Stone.

source: rollingstone.com

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121 Responses

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  • Lee on

    The nominating committee is Jann Wenner and Dave Marsh and the rest of the liberal scribes who hate Kiss, Deep Purple etc.. Little Anthony before Linda Ronstadt…..hey Mr. Peresman, your committee is a clown show.


    • genesraccoonwig on

      Agreed – it is a clown show – so send in those clowns (i.e. Paul and Gene)

      It is more a popularity contest – Rock and Roll means Rock and Roll….not disco, not funk…etc. etc.


    • NICK* on

      Should have been either everybody or nobody.


    • Geno on

      Enough with the political inclusion!! Its KISS for gods sake!!


  • Ken on

    This back and forth has been going on for two months now and I STILL see both sides. Nobody could ever argue that Vinnie Vincent or Mark St. John were as important as Ace. But the original members are the originals, they laid the groundwork and created KISS out of thin air.

    Having said all of that, there’s absolutely no reason why the RRHOF couldn’t induct every member of KISS and celebrate 40 years of destruction. They all deserve the honor, originals or not. Especially when you consider that they took the makeup off in 1983 and had a ton of success with Lick It Up, Animalize, Asylum, Crazy Nights, HITS and Revenge. That period alone is more than some bands have had in their whole career!


    • Jim from Houston on

      What he is saying though is KISS was not breaking new ground after ACE and Peter in fact they were trying to catch up with everyone else, trying to copy the Glam look(failed), trying to be bon Jovi (Failed), etc. they were a shell of the former KISS band. Prior to Reunion they were going to try the Grungy hard rock scene with Carnival of Souls, they were breaking no new ground they were spinning there wheels. I know it is a unpopular view point but the R&R HOF got it right.


    • Van on

      That right there says it all about KISS in the 80’s and 90’s and today with their current lineup. The HoF can look at it objectively that Paul and Gene can’t.


  • Rich on

    I cannot argue with Joel because everything he has said is objective and factual. Tommy and Eric are dressed like Ace and Peter and are playing a setlist with Kiss that is primarily music made BY the original 4. I have absolutely no problem with the HOF only inducting the original 4. It’s nice that Joel reaffirmed his position with his latest statement but we (and Joel) need to stop cowering to babies like Paul Stanley who has gone SO far beyond being disagreeable and is an embarrasement, acting like a spoiled child who won’t stop until he gets what he wants. At some point, you have to accept decisions that you may not like but Stanley jumps up and down to the point of ad nauseum. Can’t wait til this is over mainly because of Stanley. He’s become a poster child for the biggest rock star jerk.


    • Bill on

      Really? Truth? Your biased views on Tommy and Eric S. But what about Bruce and Eric C.?

      Josh Klinghoffer? Newest guitar player in the Peppers. Played on one album. Cliff Martinez? Drummer for the Peppers, played on one album. Tommy has played on two, Eric Singer four, including the highly regarded and commercially successful Revenge. Bruce played on seven Kiss albums, and Eric Carr played on nine.

      Paul’s got the balls to stand up to the inanity of the RaRHoF, and I applaud him for it.

      You all seem to be forgetting Dave Marsh’s famous statement: “Kiss will get in over my dead body.”


    • Jim from Houston on

      original four were equal members rest were employees.
      KISS did themselves no favors with stuff like Hello Kitty dolls.
      Eric and Bruce had little or no real in the direction of band, exception Carnival Of Souls.
      and you could Argue nothing after dynasty is really worthy of HOF status, maybe Creatures but even that is debatable.


    • DR on

      E Street band is going in this year. Talk about employees.


    • Jim from Houston on

      I don’t understand that either, Just Silly.


    • stevedrums on

      Couldn’t have said it better. I think Paul has proven what an uptight, privileged, myopic, spoiled child he has become. If KISS is so good and so beyond Ace & Peter, then take off the makeup already and be a band and not a replica. And quite frankly, Tommy & Eric are good musicians who deserve better than being relegated to inferior musicians. Paul is a hypocrite and he’s just upset that for once he isn’t getting his way. But for all of his bitching, he still insists on attending. Not for the fans, but because Ace & peter will be there.


    • Gary B. on

      Amen brother.I couldn’t have said it any better. I also think it’s about the money (isn’t it always with these 2guys?),and the blowback were they to reunite for that one night. As in, there upcoming 40th anniversary tour would take a big hit with people once again clamoring for the original 4. I’m sure they remember what happened back in 96 with the unplugged show…..


    • schocoman on

      What happened back in 1995/96 does not seem so coincidental to me like they made it seem in the DVD Scond Coming that came out afterwarfds and sort of builds a legend around it. I do not think they were surprised, I’d rather like the thought that they knew they had to save an already sinking ship, so the idea of trying it out or at least getting into touch with Ace and Peter again was probably something they had had on their minds for quite some time, So they first used the conventions, then the MTV offer to testdrive. It went down a great success, so the decision was made.


    • DR on

      BTW do you know who produced the Second Coming DVD?


  • Ray from Twitter on

    Though Paul may be right, it serves him right, but why the surprise, Paulie? The RRHOF is clueless & inconsistent.
    So deal with it, Paul, & Gene for that matter. It’s part of what you get for dissing Ace & Peter, & the biggest disrespect to my bro Ed Trunk, who is loving all the disfunction, but of course there’s the fan part, which he still is.
    Ed still does his ‘Merry KISSmas’ special, which is a mind blowing tribute & show of respect for all KISS, not just the radio hits. Gene & Paul should bow down, but they’re boobs, so……


  • Marvelous Dave on

    Good to see Mr. Peresman has taken the high road in all of this broughaha. 🙂


    • Mike on

      Its not taking the high road if its just a public relations move to save face for the RRHOF. Do you really think this guy is happy that KISS is in?


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