Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were on The Howard Stern Show yesterday, and they talked about how they came up with their name.
Before they went by Kiss, they were known as Wicked Lester. And they were also considering going by FUCK. Simmons explained why “The first record could be ‘It.’ The second one could be ‘You.’ But it wasn’t serious.” I would’ve taken them totally seriously if they did that for all 20 of their studio albums. Could you imagine ‘Off,’ ‘That Noise,’ ‘Up,’ and ‘Like Rabbits?’
So how did they come up with the name? Stanley said they were driving in the car, and it just came to him. Kiss is a universal word that everyone knows what it is when they hear it. Plus, it has so many different meanings, like kiss of death and kiss of passion.
And finally, does KISS stand for anything like Knights in Satan’s Service? Stanley said, “We’re smart. But we are not that smart.”
I think they are smart because they have been around for 50 years, and they are still going strong. Even if they are retiring from the road this year. Seriously, their feet have to hurt after wearing platform shoes for half a century, so they earned their retirement from touring.
Some celebrities refuse to take photos with their fans when they are out and about. But Paul Stanley is not one of them.
He decided to KISS and tell us why he won’t do that. “Christmas and Hanukah Shopping in Beverly Hills. Hard to be incognito, so I’m happy to take photos with fans,” he wrote. “They all make it possible for me to BE shopping in Beverly Hills!! Thank YOU too!”
And that is why we still want to Rock & Roll All Nite with them. They haven’t forgotten all the people who made them and keep them rich!
BTW If Stanley wanted to go incognito, all he had to do was put on some makeup. We would never recognize him if he did.
Back in August, Paul Stanley tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Now, just four months later, he has it again. And this time, he is not alone.
“My Omicron face! Yup. My entire family has it. I’m tired and have sniffles. Most of my family have absolutely no symptoms” the KISS guitarist wrote. “Do as you choose. I’m so glad I’m vaccinated.”
Seriously, we all need to take this seriously now. I know more people who have COVID-19 today than at the beginning of the pandemic. And I knew people in NYC who were directly affected by patient zero’s family or lived in the hot zone.
Stop being selfish, and get the shots. It’s not only about protecting yourselves, but it’s about protecting others too.
UPDATE: Paul Stanley’s test was a false positive. “I AM NEGATIVE FOR COVID” he wrote. “If you have any doubts about your Home Covid Test results, get tested through a lab. I have had Covid and 3 shots. With my antibodies there’s little chance of me contracting it now. Thanks for all your concern.”
Paul Stanley has been rocking and rolling all nite for over 50 years, and that has been taking a toll on his body. So much so, that yesterday he had shoulder surgery to repair some of the damage he has done to himself throughout the decades.
This wasn’t his first surgery. So how many surgeries has the 69-year-old guitarist gotten? He
wrote, “I lost count at EIGHT!! Was it worth it?!? ABSOLUTELY! Judge the value of what of you have by what you sacrificed to achieve that goal. This was a joy-filled BARGAIN.”
That is why Gd Gave Rock’n’Roll to him and KISS!
Get well soon. We need to see you work your magic with the guitar soon.
Today is the last day of Chanukah, so that means no more Hanukkah Sessions from Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin.
Does that mean it is over forever? The drummer wrote, “Greg and I would like to thank all of the people that helped ramp up the Hanukkah Sessions this year. It’s gonna be tough to beat! (But we will. Oh, we will…)”
So mark your calendars because they will be back doing the music of Jewish performers starting on December 18, 2022.
Until that date, we can Rock and Roll Nite and party every day with their version of the KISS song.
