| RAINBOW #1 (Summer 1970) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Stephen Coronel |
Brooke Ostrander |
Joe Davidson |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Keyboards |
Drums |
| During the summer of 1970 the first lineup of Rainbow was short lived with drummer Joe Davidson quickly being replaced by
Tony Zarella... |
| RAINBOW #2 (Summer 1970 - Spring 1971) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Stephen Coronel |
Brooke Ostrander |
Tony Zarella |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Keyboards |
Drums |
| Rainbow was the completion of the circle, with Gene,
Stephen, and Paul, finally being in the same band together. After playing just one show the band changed its name to
Wicked Lester... |
| WICKED LESTER #1 (Spring 1971 - Feb. 1972) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Stephen Coronel |
Brooke Ostrander |
Tony Zarella |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Keyboards |
Drums |
| Wicked Lester had transformed from Rainbow, which
included Gene, Paul, and Stephen, in early 1971. During the first recording efforts for Epic Stephen was fired from
the band... |
| WICKED LESTER #2 (Feb. 1972 - Sept. 1972) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Ron Leejack |
Brooke Ostrander |
Tony Zarella |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Keyboards |
Drums |
Ron Leejack was recruited for Wicked Lester without
even having to audition. He was strictly a studio member while the band made their second attempt at recording an
album for Epic and never played live with Wicked Lester, except for one showcase for Epic's A&R man Tom Werman,
which was required for the band to keep their record deal. This was the famous session where he sat down while
playing - still blew Tom's mind though!...
 |
| WICKED LESTER #3 (Summer 1972 - Jan. 1973) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Peter Criss |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Initially as a power trio, Gene and Paul, would for
some time be playing with two bands called Wicked Lester. The lineup with Peter was their new vision for the musical
development which, following the addition of a lead guitarist, would become KISS.
 |
| KISS #1 (Jan. 1973 - May 1980) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Peter Criss |
Ace Frehley |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar/Vocals |
Following the conclusion of the "Dynasty" Tour in December
1979 Peter Criss quit KISS to go solo. By March 1980 he would be recording his solo album, though his "official"
departure from KISS would not come until May 1980. Essentially he'd been a non-member of the band since December 1979.
 |
| KISS #2 (July 1980 - Dec. 1982) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Carr |
Ace Frehley |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar/Vocals |
Once Peter was gone, the balance of power in the band
had shifted in Gene and Paul's favour, and Ace knew that his days were numbered. He also didn't like the direction
that the band was taking, so he left after the recording of Music From "The Elder" in early 1982, though news of his
departure was with-held until the Creatures Tour was about to begin in December 1982, even though he had had nothing
to do with the recording of the album, and only helped out with promotions to perpetuate the guise. Ace went solo.
Eventually...
 |
| KISS #2a (January 1982) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Carr |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
While Ace would not be "out" of the band, his non-involvement
would be obvious when he failed to show at KISS' Studio 54 satellite broadcast performance on the Italian San Remo
festival. KISS were receiving an award, and the show must go on. It did, without Ace, with KISS lipsnyching as a trio...
 |
| KISS #3 (Dec. 1982 - Apr. 1984) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Carr |
Vinnie Vincent |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Vinnie Vincent was recruited during the Creatures
recording sessions when he and his band Warrior were rehearsing next door to KISS. Vinnie's tenure was short, and
included two albums, one of which was as close in substance to the band's debut. Initially in makeup in the guise
of an "Egyptian Warrior" with distinctive Ankh makeup, Vinnie would be a part of the band which unmasked in September
1983. Vinnie was fired, rehired, and then
fired/let-go at the end of the "Lick It Up" tour in March 1984 due to personality/contract conflicts. Vinnie went
solo...
 |
| KISS #4 (May. 1984 - Apr. 1984) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Carr |
Mark St. John |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Mark St. John was brought into the band on the advice
of Grover Jackson, who knew that KISS wanted a shredder, even though Dana Strum had been asked to find a replacement
for Vinnie. It became apparent, very quickly, that Mark's style and personality clashed with Gene and Paul, and
after stress related health issues, Bruce Kulick was brought in to temp for Mark on the Animalize Tour. When it
became apparent that Bruce was working out well musically and personally, Mark went bye-bye...
 |
| KISS #5 (Sept. 1984 - Sept. 1991) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Carr |
Bruce Kulick |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
With Bruce Kulick in the band, KISS found a stability
they had not had since the 1970's. Eric Carr, was in 1989, allowed to venture into the realms of lead vocals, on
"Little Caesar", unfortunately he died from cancer related complications in November 1991. The whole timing of his "end"
with the band is up for debate, though he complained to friends that KISS had decided to fire him during the Labor Day
weekend of September 1991. With his sudden relapse and ultimate death he was unable to technically depart the band,
and probably wouldn't have wanted to anyway...
 |
| KISS #6 (Oct. 1991 - Mar. 1996) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Singer |
Bruce Kulick |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Eric Singer had been brought in to work with KISS for
their cover of "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" on the Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey OST (which included Eric Carr on
harmonies). He had also worked with Paul Stanley on his solo tour of 1988 and recorded demos with Paul in that period,
so he was the natural choice of a replacement for Eric Carr. No one departed this lineup, following the
Unplugged/KISS Konvention Tour of 1995, which culminated with the mini-Reunion with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley for
MTV Unplugged in August 1995, it was announced in March 1996 that Peter and Ace were rejoining the band - Eric and
Bruce were not fired, but technically put on a leave of absence. Like Eric Carr, Bruce Kulick got a chance to sing
lead vocals on a KISS album, "Carnival Of Souls"...
 |
| KISS #7 (Mar. 1996 - Aug. 1996) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Singer |
Bruce Kulick |
Peter Criss |
Ace Frehley |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar/Vocals |
"Super-KISS", 2 drummers and 3 guitarists, though they
only performed once together, at the pervious year's (8/95) MTV Unplugged studio filming/recording at SONY Studios
in New York. However, once the Reunion tour got underway it became clear that their hiatus was going to be long and
Bruce and Eric resigned from the band, to move on to new projects...
 |
| KISS #1 (June 1996 - Jan. 2001) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Peter Criss |
Ace Frehley |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar/Vocals |
The Reunion quickly turned into a new studio album
project, plus Detroit Rock City movie project, which would have one new KISS song (which was essentially a Paul
solo track), plus a live recording of Detroit Rock City cut in the studio. That song was recorded, KISS' final
group recording, but it was judged as unusable (too rough) for use on the soundtrack and was only used in the movie.
After the Psycho Circus Tour, KISS announced their Farewell Tour. At the culmination of the Farewell Tour's North
American leg, Peter quit. Eric Singer returned to fill in to complete Farewell obligations to Japan and Australia.
Even with all of the hints, few saw this departure coming...
 |
| KISS #8 (Jan. 2001 - Feb. 2002) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Singer |
Ace Frehley |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums |
Lead Guitar/Vocals |
Following the departure of Peter, and expiration of
Ace's contract with the band, the band got one of its best lineups, even if some did not appreciate Eric appearing
in Peter's makeup design. Ace would repeatedly stated that he would no longer play with the band...
 |
| KISS #9 (Feb. 2002 - Oct. 2002) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Singer |
Tommy Thayer |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums |
Lead Guitar |
| With Ace performing with the band on an "at will
basis", tour manager, and former KISS tribute band member, Tommy Thayer would be brought in to the band's lineup -
he would make two live appearances with the band in Ace's makeup though would not an official member. Technically,
Ace was neither out of the band nor still in it, and as of October 2002 Peter has agreed to return to the band for
at least one show in 2003. This lineup would do one studio recording, without Ace or Tommy, for the Ramones tribute
album... |
| KISS #10 (Oct. 2002 - Mar. 2004) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Peter Criss |
Tommy Thayer |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
Peter Criss would return to the band, again, while the
question of KISS' guitarist would remain an issue, Tommy would continue to fulfill his role...
 |
KISS #9 Again (Mar. 2004 -) |
| Gene Simmons |
Paul Stanley |
Eric Singer |
Tommy Thayer |
| Bass/Vocals |
Guitar/Vocals |
Drums/Vocals |
Lead Guitar |
| Peter Criss would not return to the lineup for 2004... |
