KISS has and always will be the rock n\' roll Gods of Thunder. Formed in 1972 by singer Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons in New York. The band was originally called Wicked Lester when guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss joined the band but had officially become KISS in January 1973. Bill Aucoin who signed on shortly after KISS\'s summer showcase was impressed by the band\'s elaborate stage show, and within a month they had a deal with Neil Bogart\'s new label Casablanca. They released their self-titled was recorded in October 1973 with anthems such as \"Strutter\" and \"Black Diamond\". The album was a smash hit. The band spent the next couple of years touring and recording relentlessly. They created their next album Hotter Than Hell which included the album\'s self titled song and the in-your-face hit Got to Choose. They kept on recording and made another album called Dressed to Kill with hits such as C\'mon and Love Me and Wicked Lester\'s old repetoire She. It also included their greatest hit Rock n\' Roll All Nite. KISS recorded their first live album \"Alive!\" in 1975. The album went quadruple platinum. Alive! standouts included Frehley\'s Cold Gin. Their next album Destroyer which went double platinum was released in March of 1976. No wonder! It contained super-hits like Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, and Criss\' bittersweet ballad Beth. A few years later KISS created one of the most popular clubs in rock n\' roll history. They called it the KISS ARMY. The dawn of the 80\'s made KISS worry about their album sales, tours, and overall popularity to the public. But they were equally impressive with hits like Heaven\'s on Fire, Lick It Up, and the heavy Simmons hit I Love It Loud. Between the late 80\'s and into the twenty-first century KISS broke up and reunited several times. In \'99 the first KISS feature film Detroit Rock City hit theaters. But it wasn\'t until February 2003 when KISS decided to ballistic with a concert in Melbourne, Australia where they would play all of their greatest hits with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It was the largest Australian stage ever built with enough watts to light up an entire city! KISS continues to do tours today and have just released another album, Gold. For the past 33 years KISS has inspired millions of fans, and has grown to become the highest selling rock n\' roll band of all time.
Bio written by: peterbennettcriss |
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