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
149 Responses
The more I think about it, the only time kiss was even close to relevant was when ace was in the band. No wonder they are pissed he kept quitting.
And filing bankruptcies.
So did Donald Trump, so what’s your point?
Gene, is that you?
Didnt know Trump was ever in the Kiss. ….. because that’s what we’re talking about. I’m not talking generaliites here.
So you know his bank balance? Interesting.
Although KISS were at their most prominent from Destroyer to Love Gun, you’re conveniently forgetting the Lick it Up and Animalize era’s of the band. Not my favorite era, but if you could get past your emotions and deal with a few facts it would be appreciated. Your also forgetting how the first three records didn’t sell which Ace and Peter were a part of. You’ve left out Unmasked. After the Destroyer, RNR Over and Love Gun, they had one more highlight in Dynasty. Please don’t make it sound like everything was magic with the original four. They had just as many set backs as the non make up era of the band. Again I’m an original kind of guy. But I like the facts to get in the way of a good story.
Sorry but the original four were magic. Not in the very beginning and certainly not at the very end. The Lick it up and Animalize era’s were sad and thankfully long forgotten. Until the original four reunited KISS was done. Sorry but those are the facts DR.
Once again your ‘sad’ comment is merely your emotions. Not fact Sean. Your discrediting the MTV era and what it did for a band that couldn’t book a shed in 1982. Please don’t mistake my comments for defending Paul and Gene (Heaven forbid after all). But the legend of Ace and Peter is growing with every post and not a tonne of factual history to go behind those posts. Those original four were magic to use your words. Just ask all the studio musicians who helped record all that magic.
If you consider all of psycho circus, the kiss alive II studio tracks, dynasty, and the song sweet pain on destroyer as magic, then yes the studio musicians contributed much more than ace and peter did (seeing as those were the tracks ace and peter were absent from). I think the magic he is refering to are the albums from 73-77 and the whole reunion tour (psycho circus and farewell tour were obviously eras of decline for the original lineup). We all have our own tastes as far as kiss goes.
The only good thing about the two camps potentially not sitting together is that the audience will be able to vote with their hands when the cameras focus in on the two respective tables. I bet my signed copy of Love Gun that there will be cheers for Ace and Peter and the jeers for the other two.
You are wise, young padawan…
You can’t make this stuff up! Tommy in the hall of fame??? The dude is a impersonation of Ace Frehley literally from the make up to the thumbs up!!! Come on man! The dude played on two albums and his songs and solos are in the vein of Ace!! Is Tommy from Jendel too??? Gimme a break! I can POSSIBLY see Singer in the hall not for impersonating Peter but for the Revenge record because it was that damn good. Bruce Kulick should be in and without a doubt the late great little Caesar Eric Carr! I can see Vinnie possibly considering his contributions on Creatures and being a huge part of lick it up and taking the make up off as well as co-writing some great songs after his dismissal. Not supportive of Mark St John (God rest his soul). Heavens on Fire is a great song from one of their worst albums. Hey Gene when you continuously rip Ace & Peter you conveniently forget to mention your adulterous ways and how you brag about how many women you banged as if it’s something to be proud of (Shannon Tweed, Gene is mega ugly, cheated on you hundreds of times, lied to you, put his own career and sex cravings before you and your kids! What is wrong with you? Even Sophie said Gene was a good provider but not a good Dad!)!! Talk about your dispicable arrogance, your incredibly horrible movies and your incredibly horrible acting skills. You Gene Simmons, Gene Klein, Chiam Witz are a dispicable disgusting worthless asshole. And Paul while you’re continuously ripping Ace & Peter, please tell us how awful your voice is now, how the cover of your new book makes you look so feminine (hey many people say…), how awful your plastic surgeries have made you look, how you failed to mention about the LA Kiss losing on your website, how Hello Kitty (WTF?!?!?!?) is so KISS? Come on, you have lost many more fans than you’ve gained over all this selfishness and immature child like bullshit! Paul & Gene the only dime you’ll ever get from me again is if it’s money paid to fist fight either or both of you! Done wasting my breath on these fucks!
Nobody dresses up as Tommy Thayer for Halloween. Saying “Ace” is like saying “Ringo”…people get it. And why does Kiss have a guy who played with Black Sabbath and is now forced to sing Beth in concert? And do not tell me he suggested doing it. You all know Gene and Paul make him do it. Finally, has anyone noticed that this former Gary Moore and Lita Ford drummer that is now in what was once a special and iconic band looks pissed off lately? Check out recent footage and photos of this CopyCat and see…”Shut up and get paid”, right former Badlands drummer…?
Ace is what Joe Walsh is to the Eagles, which is THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE BAND! Once Ace left the band after THE ORIGINAL FAREWELL TOUR, he bowed out respectively instead of fooling the fans by coming back and joining KISS for That KISS/Aerosmith Tour, and Ace was vocal in telling Gene that there was no way he was opening up for Aerosmith! And its funny because every tour since has been a “CO-HEADLINING” TOUR, with some other Classic Rock act, this years version being Def Leppard.–(because the current KISS can’t pack them in by themselves as opposed to when and Ace and Peter were in the band). In that free chapter that was posted on the net from Paul’s upcoming book he bashed Ace and Peter by blaming them for playing the same set list over and over. Well, since the farewell tour and up until now, it seems like it’s the same set list for each “Co-Headlining Tour”! Not only that a few times when the current KISS played Houston in recent years, Gene forgot some of his lyrics and on another tour Paul started to play another song that they had just played! It seems like it’s ok for Gene and Paul to screw up, but if Ace and Peter do, they want to make a public statement about it! Paul keeps saying he does not want to tarnish the band by performing with Ace and Peter at the Rock Hall induction, but little does he know, the band has already been tarnished the moment they allowed Eric and Tommy wear the Catman and Spaceman makeup! As for Vinnie Vincent?–His songwriting resurrected Gene and Paul’s career in the early 80’s and again in the early 90’s, so they should at least send him an invite to the ceremony. Thanks for reading my own opinion about this current KISS soap opera!
You have to understand Paul’s book for what is truly is: propaganda.
Excellent post!
I agree!