AMERICAN IDOL WINNER - KISS!By Scott Wykoff
It was a night to remember for all those members (including me) of the KISS Army.
Millions of Americans rocking to Detroit Rock City and Rock and Roll All Night as KISS was front-and-center on the American Idol finale show performing with eventual runner-up Adam Lambert.
Even though he finished second to Kris Allen, Lambert was the real winner last night with the KISS Army.
Not one, but three KISS hits. And better yet, KISS is coming out with a new album and will hit the road for a new tour. Do you think Adam Lambert might find his way on stage during the tour? It will be KISS' first album since 1998's "Psycho Circus," which went to #3 on the Billboard albums chart.
Sure Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are the only remaining originals in the band (they're joined now by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer) . Ace Frehley is out on and his own now and 63-year-old Peter Criss got out of the business in 2004. Ace and Peter, you missed out on this one!
I've been in the KISS Army since the 70s when the make-up wearing rockers first hit the scene.
Small world. David Glickman was in my class in school growing up in Cleveland and his father Carl did management work for KISS. How cool was that. David kept us all supplied with plenty of KISS albums. David was one of the few people I ever knew in the 70s who actually saw Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter without make-up on. Word always spread quick when the band stopped by his house in Shaker Heights.
Cleveland was a regular stop when KISS was on tour and to this day KISS concerts rank as some of the best I've ever attended. I saw them a couple of times with my friends at the now torn down Richfield Coliseum. What a show!
It was a big thrill to see them play a few years ago on one of the network New Years Eve TV specials.
My 12-year-old son even has KISS on his Ipod.
Thanks to American Idol, he and his brother and mom and dad joined forces together in the KISS Army last night.
