If KISS fans were hoping to see a reunion of the original four members on stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it looks like they will be disappointed. In a previous article, we mentioned how Paul Stanley disclosed that his apathy towards the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has not changed. We focused on that portion of his words, but perhaps we should have taken more note of his comments about how the Hall has been inconsistent by not always inducting what he felt were key members of bands.
He cited how when the Canadian Progressive Rock band Rush was inducted that John Rutsey, who performed on the first album was not included and how Rob Trujillo who “did not play on the classic Metallica” albums was not included when the Heavy Metal act entered the Hall of Fame.
We didn’t think much of it at the time, but according to Ace Frehley, one of the band’s original members, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have elected to perform with current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, both of which are not to be inducted (only the original four of Simmons, Stanley, Frehley and Peter Criss will be.)
Clearly Stanley was insinuating that Thayer and Singer should also be inducted. Tommy Thayer officially replaced Ace Frehley in 2002, but was associated with the band for years before. The same can be said of Eric Singer, who replaced Criss in 2004, but was in the band from 1992 to 1996. Stanley would state that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would not even entertain the idea of inducting anyone other than the original band.
Initially all four members of the original lineup expressed an interest of performing together, but based on what Frehley has said, this does not appear to be happening. The news came from an interview that Ace did with New York City’s 104.3 radio station. Frehley wanted the news to get out as he did not want the fans of the popular band to think they would see a reunion on stage.
As for Frehley performing with the current band, he stated that there was no point if Thayer was up there doing the same thing. In fact, we are not sure that he will be there based on this statement:
“If I’m not gonna put on the makeup and do a three song reunion for the fans, then what am I gonna do? And right now I’m not even sure if I’m gonna show up for that, you know?”
Ace Frehley continued by saying that the fans are the ones who really losing, insinuating that they are being cheated out of what they really want to see as when asked why Simmons and Stanley wanted to go in that direction, he had this to say:
“I don’t know, and at this point, I don’t really give a shit. I don’t really care. It’s like, enough already. You don’t wanna do something for the fans after forty years of them supporting you?”
Whether Gene Simmons or Paul Stanley wants to admit it, the fans do want to see the original four in this capacity. This is no disrespect meant to Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, but they were not part of the band’s zenith, and this partly is a slap in the face to the fans of KISS who lobbied so hard for the band to get inducted in the first place. As always even when bands are inducted, controversy and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will forever be married.
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