KISS – Rock Hall Fame Ceremony

KISS would be inducted by superfan and devotee Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave), whose induction speech was rousing and heartfelt: “KISS was never a critic’s band–KISS was a people’s band,” he said, telling tales of being ridiculed for his fandom “by the self-appointed arbiters of taste in middle schools and high schools across America.” Morello would continue by relating his own personal criteria for nomination to the Hall, “Impact, influence and awesomeness,” and saluted the KISS Army, the band’s legion of fans: “We KISS fans were right! So let’s celebrate!” Morello would conclude his speech by saying, “Tonight, isn’t the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is the Rock And Roll All Night And Party Every Day Hall Of Fame!”

After all of the drama surrounding the band’s nomination, the acrimony in the press towards the Hall of Fame, and their refusal to perform, the acceptance speeches from the original four members–Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss–were genuine and sincere. Simmons had kind words to say for his band members and made sure to mention every member of KISS, past or present; Criss saluted his seven years of remission from male breast cancer while also reminding the crowd, “I’ll always be the Catman”; Frehley confessed he couldn’t read his speech because he forgot his glasses, and told us how he had been sober for seven years; and Stanley closed out the acceptance speeches by taking a swing at the Hall’s nominating process—“The people buy tickets, the people buy albums, the people who nominate do not,” and concluded: “Here we are, inducted for the same things we were kept out for.”

Source: Billboard Biz