From the streets of New York came four young men — including one born to Holocaust survivors — obsessed from their earliest days with becoming the biggest band in the world. Behind greasepaint and fire, they transformed themselves into larger-than-life characters, igniting the imaginations of millions of youths. With thunderous riffs, explosive stage shows, and relentless ambition, KISS became one of the most influential and commercially successful bands in rock history, selling over 100 million albums worldwide. In this episode you’ll learn:

· The background of the KISS member from Israel

· How a founding member overcame disfigurement and deafness as a child

· The calculated strategy behind donning the make-up

· How KISS saved itself and its record company with a bold roll of the dice

· The business model that propelled KISS to financial success

· KISS' shocking move to reinvent itself in the 1980s for a new emerging music genre

Follow the Show / Receive bonus content:

1. Follow GTS on Apple or Spotify podcasts to be alerted when our next episode drops
2. Follow Garage to Stadiums (GTS) on social channels
3. Download the Official Garage to Stadiums playlists for each episode on Apple Music or Spotify
4. Visit GaragetoStadiums.com for bonus content on KISS, including concert footage, transcripts and other interesting facts.

Guest Bio
Our guest Martin Popoff also appeared on our AC/DC episode. He *has written extensively about KISS — including his first book, KISS at 50 Years. And his most recent work KISS '76, which carries the subtitle The Greatest Year of Rock’s Most Dynamic Band.

Martin has written more record reviews than anyone in the history of music journalism across all genres. In addition, he has penned approximately 135 books on hard rock, heavy metal, classic rock, prog, punk, and record collecting, and has contributed liner notes for releases featured on various music documentaries.