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Rock 'n' Roll All Nite: Top 9 Amazing Fun Facts About KISS - The Band That Shocked the World!

illustration of kiss-the-band
Get ready to rock and roll all night as we dive into some fascinating and entertaining fun facts about the legendary band, KISS!

1. Gene's Trademark Attempts

Gene Simmons: King of Fails and Aces - With a knack for tongue-slinging and a patent-pending collection of hair-raising ideas, he's tried to register 182 trademarks but only nailed 44 of them: Among the epic flops are "Gene Simmons Wet," "Dominatrex," and "Topless Car Wash" for adult entertainment, but he did manage to score with "Chefs of Rock," "Symposium of Success," and "KISSmore" like a true frontman expanding his kingdom's reach.
Source => vice.com

2. Gene the Teacher

Before rocking out on stage with his six-string education, Gene Simmons was busy molding young minds and crafting futures in a classroom: The bassist and co-founder of KISS actually worked as a teacher before embracing his smashing music career, while Paul Stanley, contrary to popular belief, did not switch gears from taxi driving and furniture sales, but rather was already honing his musical talents before joining the legendary band.
Source => chicagotribune.com

3. KISS Superhero Personas

Before the Avengers assembled, there was another mighty quartet donning makeup and costumes to rock out their way to stardom: Meet the Starchild, the Demon, the Space Ace, and the Catman, ready to conquer planet Earth with their electric guitars and blazing drums: Inspired by their own personalities rather than comic book heroes, Kiss members created these characters to wield the power of distinctive stage presence, inevitably forging a loyal fanbase surrounding their iconic lightning bolt-like logo designed by the Space Ace, Ace Frehley.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Bloodless Marvel Comics

Before Marvel's superheroes had a chance to lick their wounds, these rock gods gave it a shot: Contrary to legends, KISS didn't actually mix their blood with red ink used in their 1977 Marvel comic book; although the idea was entertained, skepticism from Stan Lee led to its dismissal, and the comic ultimately flew off the shelves without a heavy-metal infusion.
Source => weareclassicrockers.com

Ace Frehley's UFO Encounters

5. Ace Frehley's UFO Encounters

When Ace Frehley isn't busy shredding cosmic guitar solos in the realm of rock 'n' roll history, he's casually exchanging pleasantries with the neighbors – those from the final frontier, of course: The Spaceman himself claims to have witnessed multiple UFO sightings near his New York home, eventually embracing his extraterrestrial fascination through solo albums titled Second Sighting, Anomaly, Space Invader, and Frehley's Comet.
Source => ledgernote.com

6. Gene Simmons, Tech Police

When Gene Simmons is not busy sticking his famous tongue out and rocking out with his other Kiss bandmates, he gladly moonlights as the self-appointed tech police at his own concerts: Simmons firmly disapproves of fans who film performances on their phones, a stark contrast to the band's earlier days when cell phones were nonexistent and cameras were even banned from venues – technology, according to him, has made concerts less emotional and authentic, ultimately causing music to lose its lasting meaning for people.
Source => cnet.com

7. KISS Merchandise Mania

From headbanging heaven, pure, undiluted merchploitation is born: Kiss, the band with a penchant for spandex and pyrotechnics, has blessed fans with not only face-melting tunes but also a bewildering array of merch including Kiss Kondoms, Kiss Kaskets, and yes, even Kiss bicycle shorts! Hungry fans have never had it so good, as the band has spawned thousands of officially licensed products that would give Mr. Potato Head a run for his money.
Source => pilotonline.com

8. Unmasked and Re-masked KISS

In a world where superheroes are known by their capes and masks, KISS once went undercover without their secret identity paint only to realize they needed that face armor to save the day: During a press conference on MTV in 1983, KISS revealed their true faces and experienced initial backlash, but found commercial success with two no-makeup albums that went platinum. After embracing their face-paint shields again in 1996, their fully-costumed reunion tour went on to become their most successful, grossing $143.7 million.
Source => yahoo.com

9. Gene's Fiery Hair Mishap

Fire and hair don't mix, but Gene Simmons never got the memo: On New Year's Eve 1973, while opening for Blue Oyster Cult, he accidentally set his hair ablaze six or seven times while performing his now-signature fireball-spewing stunt, using good old kerosene and a trusty torch, only to be saved by an alert roadie wielding a damp towel.
Source => ultimateclassicrock.com

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