In February 1996 right before the Reunion Tour was announced I launched KISSFreaks.com. At that time there were only a couple sites online that had information regarding KISS on them. I quickly got involved pretty heavy into the website for fun and to develop my graphics and html skills. I didn’t know I would be doing the site for almost ten years.

I have met a ton of people and been to a lot of different places due to the friends I gained over the years celebrating what I felt was the greatest band ever in rock at concerts and KISS Expos.

Over the last few years the site had grown out of control as far as traffic. It definitely has been fun, but I have had little time for it. A friend of mine has been doing most of the updates for the site over the last couple years just because I just didn’t have the time to do it. He has done a fantastic job of updating and keeping fans coming to KISSFreaks.com. Bill Starkey has kept me semi-motivated over the last few years by laughing at some of the things that we posted on the site, that other KISS sites wouldn’t put up. We always did strive to be different.

I have toyed with the idea of closing it a couple of times due to my personal life and business life being spread so thin. Finally the time has really come for the last updates to KISSFreaks.com. I think KISS has become a great band again since the addition again of Eric Singer. Boo me all you want, he is one of the best drummers in rock, go see him with Alice Cooper you will become a believer also. Maybe someday KISS will let him let loose like he does with Alice Cooper. You should also check out Bruce Kulick anytime he is in town. He is definitely one of the best guitarists ever!

Last year I launched a site called Fansanity.com that sells entertainment related collectibles. I have put a lot of time into that site and business which is coming along rather well. In 2005, I partnered with Keith Leroux from KISSShop.com and re-launched the site as KISSArmyWarehouse.com a new KISS merchandise site selling at the best prices around. We have been working very hard at getting the site and business going. I hope KISS fans will stop by and check in with us every now and then. We are planning several very exciting KISS related licenses and projects through Get A Life Inc. also. I hope you will continue to support both of us through the site KISSArmyWarehouse.com and Get A Life, Inc. company.

The content from KISS Freaks is now moved over to the new site and archived so KISS fans can look at all those great stories from the past. Just click the link on the left hand side menu on KISSArmyWarehouse.com. In about a month KISSFreaks.com will automatically forward to KISSArmyWarehouse.com so please notice the location on the menu to locate all the old KISS Freaks related content.

I will definitely see many of you as I make the rounds at the KISS Expos over the next few years. I want to thank all of the fans that have been coming to the site over the years. Your dedication to the band made the site fun to continue for all those years. All of those submissions of news, images, graphics, stories and so much more made KISS Freaks truly unique in the KISS online world. Special thanks to the following people who have always been very supportive and helpful with the site: Bill Starkey, Chris and Beth White, Mike Brandvold, Roch Vaillancourt, Ted Wilson, Michelle Trusner, Bruce Sullivan, Dale Torborg, Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer, Allen Tate and Julian Gill. There are several hundred other fans that helped out over the years that I didn’t mention, thank you too!

Steve Stierwalt, Jr.
KISSFreaks.com

PS: In celebration of the 10 Year Anniversary of KISSFreaks.com at KISSArmyWarehouse.com we are offering 10% off any order over $20 by using this special promotional code at checkout KF10. Also we will have several items marked down to $10 also in celebration of the 10 Year Anniversary.

From: GetALifeInc.com

Get A Life Inc. presents the 2006 INDY KISS Expo. Get ready for another great KISS Weekend! The KISS Expo will take place at the Holiday Inn Indianapolis East, 6990 East 21st St. For hotel rooms - call 317-359-5341 and ask for the special KISS Expo rate. KISS merchandise and collectibles will be on sale throughout the day.

We are currently working on finalizing the guests, event time and events throughout the day. Please keep checking in for details. Tickets will go on sale in the next week or so. If you are a dealer interested in tables for the event please email us at info@kissarmywarehouse.com

For more details as they become available go to:
www.getalifeinc.com

From: Patrice Beaudette

Check out this rocking cover of Love 'em, Leave 'em as performed by the Christine Sixteen Tribute Band.

[Check It Out]

From: Patrice Beaudette

I'm producing a KISS tribute CD with teenagers at the school I work at. You can have more details, audio files and pictures at our site. The CD is a non-profit project and it will be printed at only 500 copies and of wich only 250 copies will be sold on the internet.

[Check It Out]

From: The Void By: Ted E. Brown II

Chicago White Sox catcher and World Series champion AJ Pierzynki, and Strength coach Dale Torbrog, Formerly The KISS Demon for WCW, Appeared at the November 29th taping of TNA Impact! On Spike TV, presenting White Sox signed World Series memorabilia to A.J. Styles, Chris Sabin and Sonjay Dutt, Three of the most popular wrestlers in the X-Division.

Mike Tenay took center stage with the microphone, and introduced a member of the Chicago White Sox, AJ Pierzynski, and strength coach Dale Torborg (Formerly The KISS Demon for WCW) and the one and only Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Bobby began with stating that as soon as the White Sox signed AJ, he knew they were going to be the Heavyweight Champions of baseball. AJ Pierzynski talked about how he grew up being a wrestling fan, and then gave his own baseball bat to AJ Styles and the X-Division, in honor of what they have done. Dale Torborg also presented a bat signed by all the players of the Chicago White Sox. AJ Styles then had something to present on behalf of everyone in TNA.

That’s where Simon Diamond had a problem, and came down along with members of The Diamonds In The Rough, showing just how utterly disrespectful he can be. Simon demanded that AJ Pierzynski get out the Impact Zone, and to take the man who couldn’t succeed in his sport, Dale Torborg with him. Simon then said he personally doesn’t hit .256, but instead he hits homeruns. A brawl broke out as security had to quickly come to the scene and break it up as we went to a commercial break. Later that night TNA Championship Committee announced that on Sunday, December 11th at the monthly TNA-NWA Pay-Per-View “Turning Point” it would be The Diamonds In The Rough Vs. Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin & Dale Torborg with AJ Pierzyski managing.

“Turning Point” Results

From: TNA Wrestling.com
THE DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH vs. SONJAY DUTT, CHRIS SABIN, & DALE TORBORG w/ AJ PIERZYNSKI

Elix Skipper started out with Chris Sabin. The two used their X-Division styles to counter one another. Before the match, Bobby explained that he told AJ to lie, to cheat, and be dishonest. Mike questioned those manager pointers. Back in the ring Skipper tried spearing Sabin on the outside, but instead was booted in the head by Sabin. Sonjay Dutt then went flying from the top onto David Young then spring boarding off the ropes back onto David Young. Dale Torborg was now getting a taste of his first in ring activity in this match with some quick right hands on all members of The Diamonds Of The Rough, then he press slammed his own partner, Sonjay Dutt to the outside onto The Diamonds In The Rough. Double pain there, but moments later it was David Young taking it to Sonjay. Simon Diamond came in though and motioned a pitch that turned into a stiff right hand to Sonjay. Taking turns, it was now Elix Skippers turn in the ring, he stopped Sonjay during the revolutions and sent him straight on his head. So jay suffered more; it was a Spinebuster from David Young. Sonjay however came back with a hurricanrana onto Young. Now Dale Torborg came back in with a tag and started cleaning out the trash. He took out Skipper and Young, and then hit a choke slam onto Simon Diamond. Diamond’s teammates though broke the pin. Sabin now paused in mid air then hit the missile drop kick onto Young hung upside-down on the ring apron. Simon Diamond then took some baseball gear and hit Dale Torborg with it. AJ pulled the referee out of the ring as he was pinning. The referee was going to call for a bell but Bobby “The Brain” Heenan got into the action and then it was AJ Pierzynski with a home base that hit Simon Diamond as all competitors then pinned Diamond for the win.

Winners: Sonjay Dutt, Chris Sabin, & Dale Torborg. At the end of the match AJ Pierzynski and Dale Torborg were presented with TNA rings to go along with their World Series rings.

From: The Void By: Ted E. Brown II

In a recent issue of ESPN The Magazine (December 2005), Lindsay Berra reported on Seattle's Rat City Rollergirl League, In particular The Sockit Wenches, in the article there are various pictures of the team in "War Paint", three of these ladies decided to use KISS makeup. If You get a chance to grab the Magazine, pick it up and give it a glance, Interesting to see just how far the influence of KISS will go. For more information and Photos for both the Rat City Rollergirls League & The Sockit Wenches visit their sites by clicking the link below.

[Check It Out]

From: Markosia Music

Jazan Wild's Carnival Of Souls Pulls Into The Mexico KISS EXPO on December 9th and 10th! The first 50 people through the doors each day will receive a free copy of Jazan Wild's Carnival Of Souls Issue #1Comic Book!!!! Come by the Markosia Enterprises Booth to meet Jazan and get your comic book signed! Also for sale will be Jazan Wild's debut CD produced by Grammy Award winning producer Bob Kulick. The CD also contains a cover of KISS' classic Rock N Roll All Nite as well as an exclusive digital comic book! Look forward to seeing you there!!!!!!!!!!

From: AussyAce

KISS frontman Paul Stanley married longtime girlfriend Erin Sutton on Saturday, November 19. The ceremony took place at The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington in Pasadena, California. This is the second marriage for Stanley, who has an 11-year-old son, Evan Shane Stanley, with his first wife, Dallas native Pamela Bowen.

Stanley is currently working on his first non-KISS release since his self-titled 1978 album, issued in tandem with solo projects from the other three original KISS members. Joining Stanley on his new solo album are session drummer Victor Indrizzo, guitarist Corky James, former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick (who plays bass on a few songs) and noted string arranger David Campbell. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Wake Up Screaming", "Second to None" and "Live to Win". An early 2006 release is expected.

From: Marty, HTH

Cavern Club, Liverpool, UK, Sat 22 Jul 2006, 12:00pm, GENERAL ADMISSION £10.00

ROCK OFF & SOUNDWAVE PRESENTS:
2006 UK KISS TRIBUTE CONVENTION
Featuring:
Europe's No.1 Kiss Tribute Band:HOTTER THAN HELL + SUPPORT.
More Guests TBC
12HR ROCK EXTRAVAGANZA!
THE CAVERN CLUB, LIVERPOOL, UK
DATE: SAT 22nd JULY 2006
TIME: 12:00pm-12:00am

[More Info]

The EVANSVILLEKISS.COM Website has received a much needed facelift. The focus of the website is also changing from a static website that only the webmaster can change to an interactive site where other fans can post KISS related news too.

Visit EVANSVILLEKISS.COM to create your own user account and post any KISS related news that you receive. Thank you!

[Check It Out]

From: BackStageAuctions.com

Backstage Auctions offers up rare and one of a kind memorabilia from the personal collections of the original KISS road crew in historic December auction.

Houston, TX (PR WEB) November 10, 2005 -- Backstage Auctions is proud to present the 2005 “KISS My Auction” event which will feature 100’s of items from the private collections of more than a dozen original KISS crew & company members from the glorious days of the 1970’s.

“KISS remains one of the top collectible bands today and with a large array of items in the market, serious collectors are searching the market for those unique, one of a kind pieces,” explains Kelli van Gool, co-founder of Backstage Auctions. The consignors in the KISS My Auction are individuals who were part of the KISS family in one capacity or another from 1973 through the early 1980’s. Backstage Auctions is extremely honored to represent these individuals who are now willing to open their personal KISS treasure vault and share their personal and historic mementos with the ever growing KISS Army.

Among the more notable pieces will be the original artwork for Rock and Roll Over, Gene Simmons’ fire breathing sword and a pair of boots, a vintage Paul Stanley Gibson Marauder guitar and a stage worn Peter Criss belt. Also featured in the auction are record awards, vintage shirts & jackets, tour documents, press kits, rare vinyl, picks ‘n sticks, party invitations, Christmas cards, rare photos, promotional items, toys and so much more.

“It will be an early KISSmas this year,” says Jacques van Gool, co founder of Backstage Auctions and long time KISS collector. “I thought I had seen it all, but even I have been in awe over the rich history behind these authentic pieces.”

This easily will be the KISS highlight of the year and Backstage Auctions is proud to present this unbelievable and historic auction to and for the KISS fans all over the world. The KISS My Auction preview will go live Sunday, November 27th and the auction will open for bidding on Sunday, December 4th.

[Find Out More]

From: Rob

[See how it is done!]

Hey, I wanted to let you know that the new Sept 2005 release of Nashville Pussy's album "Get Some", has a great cover of "Snowblind". It is very no frills, just raw rock and roll.

From: Mark Bennett of TribStar.com

Two things are certain about the birth of the KISS Army -- Bill Starkey founded that fan club as a Terre Haute teen-ager in 1975, and "it's a very bizarre story" as he puts it.

So let's start at the end.

Starkey is now a 49-year-old elementary teacher at Indianapolis Public School 109. His third-graders aren't too familiar with KISS -- that quartet of face-painted, platform-heeled rockers who hit it big with 1970s anthem tunes such as "Rock and Roll All Night." Some of those kids' parents remember KISS. But not like Starkey does.

KISS hailed from New York. But their most persistent fan worked from a basement in Terre Haute.

It was 1975. The primary rock 'n' roll radio station in town, WVTS, would play anything from obscure album cuts by Robin Trower to FM staples by The Beatles and The Who. But WVTS absolutely would not play any songs by KISS, a new band Starkey had seen in concert elsewhere around the Midwest. The programming director, Rich Dickerson, wouldn't budge, Starkey says.

When Starkey and his friends called the WVTS request line, "They'd laugh and say, we don't play KISS."

What happened next is part of rock music folklore, and it comes in two versions -- the well-known mythical tale, or the less widely understood truth.

The myth, favored by KISS star Gene Simmons and the band's official publicity, claims Starkey and his KISS Army -- totaling nearly a thousand fans -- surrounded the WVTS studios in the woods near West Terre Haute and refused to leave until the disc jockeys finally relented and played KISS.

Survived KISS period: Bill Starkey, who founded the KISS Army in Terre Haute back in 1975, is now 49 years old and a third-grade teacher in the Indianapolis Public Schools system. (Photo courtesy Bill Starkey) Dramatic as that sounds, it never happened. As one of Starkey's KISS Army rank-and-file members Mike Leslie explains, "The myth is kind of good for their reputation, but we weren't that diabolical back then."

In reality, the process was more like water torture. Six months' worth of phoned-in KISS requests by Starkey and his friends slowly chipped away the station's resistance. Starkey's Terre Haute North classmate Rob Smith, using the cover of one of Leslie's albums, produced the first-ever KISS T-shirts in the print shop at the high school, where they became a hit. And then came a letter-writing campaign, threatening WVTS's demise and trashing the station's mainstays, such as Aerosmith.

But the real icebreaker turned something far less sexy and outrageous -- the free-market system. A new station, WPFR, hit the airwaves and, of course, immediately seized the neglected KISS market share. "Rock and Roll All Night" is exactly what WPFR did. And when word came that KISS had been booked for a concert in Hulman Center that November, Dickerson realized his teen-age nemesis could give WVTS the upper hand in the battle for listeners.

So Dickerson asked Starkey to send him more of those pro-KISS letters, vowing to read one each night at 5 o'clock.

The concert turned into a sellout. And when the band's PR people found out, they excitedly begged WVTS to tell them how it happened.

Carrying the banner: KISS Army members carry a banner touting the band's scheduled concert 30 years ago this month in Hulman Center. "They told them, 'There's this 18-year-old idiot in his basement who calls himself the KISS Army,'" Starkey says.

The concert on Nov. 21, 1975, drew 11,026 fans -- nearly a thousand more than Elvis Presley attracted here four months earlier. "It was crazy," Starkey recalls. "KISS could not have done anything wrong." KISS even was greeted by his grassroots KISS Army (which included four buddies wearing KISS-like face paint known as the Unknown Soldiers) when the band members arrived on a plane at Hulman International Airport. The State High band performed. (North and South wanted free tickets, Starkey remembers, and they'd all been sold.) The real Army -- the U.S. kind -- also came, and gave the wild musicians a motorcade escort into town, where they visited the WVTS studios and then rocked Hulman Center.

Later, Starkey feuded with KISS when its Army spread nationwide and the band chose to base it in larger markets. But over the years, he's made peace with longtime band members Paul Stanley and Simmons, considers current KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer friends, and even received a thank-you plaque from the band at one of their Hulman Center concerts. (They've played here eight times.)

"They had to finally give credit where credit is due," says Pat Kelly, another former Terre Haute KISS Army member. "It was Bill."

Kelly sees Starkey at an annual KISS expo in Indianapolis each year. Leslie spins his old KISS LPs "when I get, as my kids call it, in my hippie moods," and his 4-year-old grandson's favorite song is "Rock and Roll All Night." They're 49, like Starkey, and many of the other KISS fans who helped make Terre Haute "a part of history" -- at least, rock history.

As for Starkey, he saw KISS at Verizon Music Center in Noblesville last July. And he's still recognized in rock circles as the founder of the KISS Army. "Anytime VH1 has done a KISS special, they interview me," Starkey says. The KISS Army even got mentioned recently by Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" and in a "Simpsons" episode.

"Anytime pop culture gets a hold of something I did in my basement, it just blows my mind," Starkey says.

With the 30th anniversary of the KISS Army's public birth in Terre Haute coming this Monday, Starkey just wishes his hometown would just recognize that.

"It's still a part of history," he says.

[Visit The Tribune-Star]