TOMMY THAYER, ERIC SINGER AND BRUCE KULICK TO ATTEND KISS’ INDUCTION CEREMONY INTO THE ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME
Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone reports:
Current KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer aren’t going to be inducted with the band at this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, and they won’t perform, either – but they’re showing up, nevertheless.
Gene Simmons confirmed to Rolling Stone via e-mail that he and Paul Stanley have invited Singer and Thayer to sit at their table during the April 10th ceremony, along with guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played in KISS during its make-up-free period, from 1984 to 1996. “The fact that they want me at their table means the world,” says Kulick.
With founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss also on hand, that means all surviving KISS members will be at Brooklyn, New York’s Barclays Center, except for hard-to-track-down guitarist Vinnie Vincent. “He’s kind of the Howard Hughes of KISS,” says Kulick.
Simmons and Stanley are upset with the Hall of Fame’s decision to induct only the four original members. “Tommy has been in the band 10 years,” Stanley told Rolling Stone in interviews for their current KISS cover story. “Eric’s been in the band 20 years.” (Minus a five-year interlude when the original band reunited.) “The idea of no one being even a candidate for induction into the Hall of Fame other than the four original guys is hogwash.”
Not surprisingly, Kulick, Thayer and Singer all endorse that sentiment. “Even if I was an outsider,” says Thayer, “I would say that all of the guys that have been in KISS over 40 years, all of the members, should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
As of last month, Singer was somewhat reluctant to attend. “If the choice is up to me, do I want to attend or not, then I don’t wanna go,” he told Rolling Stone before Simmons and Stanley invited him. “I personally don’t care about attending, but if Gene and Paul say, ‘No, we want you there,’ no problem. I’m there for you guys. I’m there for Gene and Paul and Tommy. For Kiss, the way it stands now, no problem. Or if they just want me to be there to celebrate Kiss in general, and that means everybody, fine, great, because I’m part of the whole story.”
There is no KISS performance slated for the ceremony. As reported in our cover story, Stanley and Simmons offered to allow the former members to jam with Kiss’ current lineup, featuring Thayer and Singer, who wear Frehley and Criss’ makeup, respectively. Frehley and Criss found that proposition deeply insulting. “I won’t be disrespected,” Criss says. “How can you put me in the Hall of Fame and then tell me to go sit over there in the corner while another guy puts on my makeup and plays? That’s an injustice. To the fans, too.”
source: rollingstone.com
Does anyone know if Gary Cherone was inducted for Van Halen?Revenge and Alive 3 are the best things they’ve done in 30 years.
No he was not; but Sammy Hagar was.
My God…. Bring on the ‘Drama’ and let’s Move On! (I just realized I referenced a great Paul Stanley song there.)
Does anyone know exactly how many greatest Kiss albums Kiss has released “celebrating” the history of the band with the majority of the songs on the record from the 70’s?
All members should be there, all members should be inducted. Period.
I agree.
I am so sick of this whole thing! People on this site continue to bash the two people that kept this band going for 40 years, and continue to glorify two people that were too stoned or drunk to see what they had, and let it slip through their fingers. Is Gene an ego maniac? You bet your ass, and he has earned the right to be one by remembering that the music and entertainment industries are businesses, and by using his position as a member of a successful band to enrich himself to the max! Both Gene and Paul could have followed Ace and Peter into the depths of addiction, but they didn’t. They kept the band going for 40 years, and have made millions of people happy along the way. Ace and Peter made their decisions to let drinking or drugs be more important than THE BAND! That is truly unfortunate, but it is the truth. When they were brought back for the reunion, they were brought back as employees. They both accepted the terms that Gene and Paul gave them. When it became a big success, they wanted to renegotiate those terms, and Gene and Paul refused. Gene and Paul moved on without them. They have released two pretty good albums without them, and have done numerous tours that entertained alot of people. Why is that a bad thing?
The HOF made the decision to only induct the original members, which is their right (but is different compared to the Grateful Dead, Red Hot Chilipeppers, etc). Gene and Paul offered Ace and Peter the opportunity to perform with the current lineup, but they refused. That was their right. Gene and Paul decided that to perform only with Ace and Peter would be disrespectful to the current band members (or employees, whichever you prefer), and decided not to perform at all. Again, that is their right. Would I have loved to see a performance at the HOF with the original members? Of course! But it ain’t going to happen! So, instead of bitching about it, and blaming the two folks that kept the band going all these years, why not just be glad the HOF finally recognized KISS as the iconic band that they are? The would be the ADULT approach to this whole thing. Too bad so many people on this site don’t get that!
Bravo Keith.
Paul is the one who kept the band together, while Gene flirted with Hollywood.
Paul has every right to be pissed at the other Original Three that they did not take it as “seriously” as they should have.
The only thing I have a problem with Paul and Gene is their bitching like two schoolgirls ad naseum about Pete and Ace’s inadequacies. If they only looked in the mirror, they too would realize they too are fucked up.