Kiss

KISS. American hard-rock band formed in New York City in January 1973 by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. They are known for their group members outrageous face paint and stage outfits. The group rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 1970s with their live performances—featuring fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. The band has gone through multiple lineup changes over the years with Stanley and Simmons the only remaining original members. Counting the 1978 solo albums, Kiss have been awarded 30 gold albums to date (the most of any American band). They have sold more than 40 million albums in the United States with worldwide sales exceeding 100 million records, making them one of the best selling groups of all time. With their make-up and costumes, they took on the personae of comic-book style characters : The Starchild (Stanley) / The Demon (Simmons) / The Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley) and The Catman (Criss). Stanley became the "Starchild" because of his tendency to be referred to as a "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." The "Demon" make-up reflected Simmons' cynicism and dark sense of humor, as well as his affection for comic books. Frehley's "Spaceman" make-up was a reflection of his fondness for science fiction and his supposedly being from another planet. Criss' "Catman" make-up was in accordance with the belief that he had nine lives, because of his rough childhood in Brooklyn. Due to creative differences, both Criss and Frehley left the band in 1982. Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia during the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup in 1996. The resulting Kiss Alive World Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997. On April 10th 2014, Kiss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.