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Kiss (often styled as KISS) was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals) and Peter Criss (drums, vocals).
KISS Tour Dates, Klassic Videos, Music, Merchandise and More! Home of the KISS ARMY, Find KISS tickets and concert information from the official KISS website.
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List of Kiss members. The original and final line-ups of Kiss performing live in 1977 (top) and 2013 (bottom), respectively. Kiss was an American hard rock band from New York City, US. Formed in January 1973, the group originally featured rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss ...
Name (persona)Years ActiveInstrumentsRelease ContributionsPaul Stanley (The Starchild)1973–2023lead and backing vocals rhythm guitar ...Gene Simmons (The Demon)1973–2023lead and backing vocals bass guitar ...Peter Criss (The Catman)1973–1980 1996–2001 2002–2004 (guest in ...drums percussion backing and lead vocalsall Kiss releases from Kiss (1974) to ...Ace Frehley (The Spaceman a.k.a. Space ...1973–1982 1996–2002 (guest in 1995 and ...lead guitar backing and lead vocals ...all Kiss releases from Kiss (1974) to ...- Gene Simmons, 73
- Paul Stanley, 71
- Ace Frehley, 71
- Peter Criss, 77
- Eric Carr
- Eric Singer, 64
- Tommy Thayer, 62
- Vinnie Vincent, 70
- Mark St. John
- Bruce Kulick, 69
Gene Simmons, né Chaim Witz, was born in Israel on Aug. 25, 1949. He immigrated to New York City at age 8 with his mother and changed his name to Gene Klein, taking on his mother's maiden name. For his stage name, the band's co-lead singer and bassist took inspiration from rockabilly singer Jumpin' Gene Simmons. Simmons was in his first band, The L...
Born Stanley Bert Eisen in New York City on Jan. 20, 1952, KISS rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist Paul Stanleywas influenced by music from a young age, receiving his first guitar at the age of 7. He first linked up with his future KISS bandmate Simmons in the early 1970s, joining Simmons' group Wicked Lester. After Wicked Lester broke up in 197...
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley was born on April 27, 1951, and grew up in the Bronx. After playing as a member of various bands through his teens, he officially joined KISS in January 1973, coming up with the group's iconic lightning bolt logo. Frehley took on the persona the "Spaceman," known for his over-the-top and out-of-this-world guitar style (dur...
Born on Dec. 20, 1945, Peter George John Criscuola grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and is known by his stage name Peter Criss. He played with other bands in the mid-to-late 1960s, but joined KISS after Stanley and Simmons saw his advertisement in the East Coast edition of Rolling Stone. He developed the "Catman" persona and joined the newly formed g...
Paul Charles Caravello, born July 12, 1950, grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He replaced Criss as KISS' drummer in 1980 and adopted the stage nameEric Carr. Carr's first public performance with the group was on July 25, 1980, at the Palladium in New York City. Instead of using Criss' "Catman" persona, he came up with the "Fox" character. Music from "...
Eric Singer was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 12, 1958. The drummer's father was a local bandleader and played a large role in influencing his love of music. Among Singer's other inspirations are bands including The Who, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Singer first joined KISS in December 1991 following the death of Eric Carr. He played on the band...
Tommy Thayer was born on Nov. 7, 1960, and grew up in Beaverton, Oregon. He was raised in a family of musicians, and first picked up an electric guitar at age 13. Pre-KISS, Thayer co-founded the band Black 'n Blue, which opened for KISS on tour in 1985. In addition to being part of their opening act, the rocker was involved with the band in various...
Vincent John Cusano, known by his stage name Vinnie Vincent, was born on Aug. 6, 1952, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1982, he was brought in as a replacement lead guitarist following Frehley's departure from the group. Like Carr, Vincent took on a different persona than his predecessor. He used the "Ankh Warrior" character, a look created by Stanl...
Mark St. John, born Mark Leslie Norton on Feb. 7, 1956, in Hollywood, California, was the third lead guitarist to join KISS. He was briefly in the group after Vincent left in early 1984, exiting by December of that same year. St. John never performed in a persona for the group, as they had their live unmasking the year prior. He only appeared in on...
Bruce Howard Kulick was born on Dec. 12, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to joining KISS as their lead guitarist, Kulick worked with artists including Michael Bolton and Meat Loaf. Like St. John, he never took on an onstage persona or wore makeup while a member of the group. Kulick became an official member of KISS in September 1984 to replace S...
Jun 16, 2021 · After 50 years of rocking and rolling all night and partying every day, the #1 Gold Record selling band of all time, KISS, shared their story of success before finally smashing their last...
Dec 1, 2023 · Updated 7:48 AM PDT, December 1, 2023. NEW YORK (AP) — Fifty years ago, four young New Yorkers dragged their guitars, amps and drums to a loft on 23rd Street in New York, dreaming of becoming the biggest band in the world.
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KISS Chronology. As America’s #1 Gold Record Award winning group of all time, and that’s in every category, KISS can easily be named one of rock’s most influential bands. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famers have released 44 albums and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.