Kiss Reach Hall Of Fame at Last

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame have finally confirmed the induction of Kiss – 15 years after they became eligible for the honour.

It follows their victory in the public poll, which saw 240,000 people casting their vote for Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and co.

And despite having spent years pouring scorn on the industry establishment, Stanley says in a statement: “I’m honoured to be inducted knowing we have remained true to ourselves and our fans.”

Also to be inducted at the ceremony in New York in April are Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, Hall And Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt. The E Street Band will receive the Award For Musical Excellence, while late Beatles manager Brian Epstein and former Rolling Stones boss Andrew Loog Oldham will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award for non-performers.

Rock Hall chief exec Joel Peresman says: “The Kiss Army has descended on us in recent years, and we’ve gotten thousands of letters. They also did extremely well in the public vote.”

Peresman’s next problem is choosing a track for the musicians to perform during the traditional end-of-night jam. “We have visions going through our heads,” he says. “Should it be Rock And Roll All Nite or a Bruce Springsteen song? What’s the best way to represent it? We don’t know yet.”

Simmons had previously insisted he didn’t want to invite former Kiss member Ace Frehley to the induction, but in a brief statement he said: “To the Kiss Army, Ace, Peter, Eric Carr, Vinnie, Mark, Bruce, Tommy and Eric Singer, Bill Aucoin, Doc McGhee; to my partner of forty years, the ever youthful Paul Stanley, and all the members of the Kiss family: this honour is for you. forty years of rockin’ and still going strong.”