KISS (band)

KISS is a New York City-based rock band that became famous in the mid to late 1970s. The band was known for its elaborate costumes and stage sets, and the fact that the band never appeared in public except in heavy make-up which disguised their real identities. The band stopped wearing their make-up in 1983, and put it back on by the mid 1990s when they began touring as a 1970's nostalgia act.

The original members of Kiss (formed 1972?-'73) (and their made-up personas) are Paul Stanley (star child), rhythm guitar; Gene Simmons (demon), bass; Ace Frehley (space-ace), lead guitar; and Peter Criss (catman), drums.

Over the years, the band had these replacements for Ace Frehley between 1982 and 1996 (when the original four members reunited):

Vinnie Vincent, 1982-83
Mark St. John, 1983-84
Bruce Kulick, 1985-1996

And these were the replacements for Peter Criss between 1980 and 1996 and after 2001 when he left the band a second time:

Eric Carr, 1981-1991 (died of cancer)
Eric Singer, 1991-1996, 2001- (since 2001, he had to wear the Catman make-up)

The band's name was rumored to stand for "Knights In Satan's Service" but this is an urban legend which Gene Simmons has denied in his book. Simmons states that Paul Stanley suggested the name on the spur of the moment while they were stopped at a traffic light.

KISS (band)

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