KISS’s PAUL STANLEY Explains How He Came Up With Band’s Name

In a recent interview with Australia’s The Project, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked how he came up with the band’s name nearly five decades ago. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I thought that it was something that would sound familiar no matter where you were in the world. It was the kind of name where a word like that, you would go, ‘Oh, I’ve heard of KISS.’ And it also had so many different meanings — a passionate kiss, a kiss of death, whatever. So it was a word that I think was open to interpretation. And I guess it worked, right? We’re here, what? 48 years later — something like that. But who’s counting?”

It was previously reported that Stanley — born Stanley Harvey Eisen — came up with the name KISS after drummer Peter Criss mentioned he was in a band called LIPS. Stanley and co-founder Gene Simmons started a band called WICKED LESTER in 1972, which later became KISS.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“End Of The Road” was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but is now expected to last well into 2022.

KISS last performed this past New Year’s Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The concert broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.

KISS‘s current lineup consists of original members Stanley and Simmons, alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

KISS hasn’t released a full-length disc of new music since 2012’s “Monster”, which sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band’s previous LP, “Sonic Boom”, opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. It was KISS‘s highest-charting LP ever.