The formation of KISS began in 1970 with the meeting of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. It wasn't for a couple years, however, that they got together and formed the band Rainbow. The band needed a drummer and a guitarist, so they put ads in the paper for auditions. They met Peter Criss through an ad in Rolling Stone Magazine, and they hired Ace Frehley later on at their auditions. This was to be the original lineup for the band, with Simmons on bass and lead vocals, Stanley and Frehley on guitar and Peter Criss on the drums. The band was to change members many times through the years, replacing Criss with Eric Carr, who also eventually had to be replaced because of his death due to heart cancer. Ace Frehley was also replaced by Vinny Vincent in 1982. Despite continuous hardships, the band continued to put out top selling albums. KISS will always be known for their constant output of quality rock, especially in the 80's, which we all know sucked. The band reunited its original members in 1994 for their unplugged performance on MTV. The band has continued to put out the music that KISS fans have known and loved for decades, with their performance at the 1999 Super Bowl, to the new release of their album Carnival of Souls, KISS continues to rock, and they'll continue to for some time.
R.I.P.
Eric Carr
1950-1991
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