I am not ashamed or afraid to admit: I have been a Kiss fan for a VERY long time. Sure, there were many years in there where I didn’t like them much or appreciate what they were doing – but over my lifetime, there is no denying the huge impact these guys had on me.
I bought all of their records from 1975 through about 1987 – about 15 of them or so. I think I saw them every year from 1979 until 1987, too. I was in Kiss Army as a kid. I bought every poster I could, and had 2 sets of all the Kiss cards. I had puzzles, a Gene doll, belt buckles and more. I was a ravenous fan, especially when I was pre-middle school – older kids tended to make fun of Kiss fans, especially after Dynasty.
The last couple albums they released and all the tours they did after 1987 weren’t even on my radar any longer, for by then I had moved on as a fan…any time listening to Kiss, was nostalgia at best. But I then completely ignored them for a long time, until I got the box set digitally – and my love of Kiss was reignited by listening to the music again, and conjuring those memories.
I found a few Kiss records in the collections I have picked up, so I listed my doubles for sale. I recently sold a super sweet copy of Rock and Roll Over to a really cool guy I met in the UK – and he and I got to talking about being lifelong Kiss fans. It made me think, there are so many more people out there just like us – folks with Kiss stories all their own.
So, I decided to do a multi-part feature on Kiss out here – inviting a bunch of different guys to share their stories, insights, observations and opinions about Kiss. No rules – just anything at all they want to write about, regarding the band. I will post them all as they come in to me – and if you read one and want to write one of your own, I encourage you to do so, and just email it to me, and I will happily add it out here.
You wanted the best, and you got the best – the hottest topic in the world…KISS!
What Does KISS Mean to You?
Click any image below, and read more KISS stories from REAL KISS fans...
What KISS Meant to Me
Wade Chancellor, record collector and all-around experienced music guy, shares his earliest memories of being a fan of the hottest band in the world.
KISS Unified Us All
Marty Lamers talks about the idea that being a KISS fan, or not, was a defining quality of a whole generation.
KISS was Easier to Say than Exploitation
Nick Zammarilla shares his memories of being a KISS fan and willfully falling prey (submitting?) to the shameless salesmanship of Gene Simmons.
