SALUTES DETROIT SEPTEMBER 25, 2009
Kiss' Paul Stanley likes to note that "I've only written one song about a city."
And that would be "Detroit Rock City."
The song, which kicks off Kiss' triple-platinum 1976 album "Destroyer," is an acknowledgment of a mutual love affair between the theatrical hard rockers and Detroit. It goes back to the early days of the group's career and was cemented on May 16, 1975, when the group recorded most of its breakthrough "Kiss Alive!" album at Cobo Arena. Released four months later, it became Kiss' first gold album, launched the hit "Rock and Roll All Nite" and turned Kiss into a worldwide phenomenon.
That will be very much on the band members' minds this weekend, when Kiss returns to Cobo to open the latest leg of its "Kiss Alive 35" tour, celebrating the 35th anniversary of its first album.
"Something happened in Detroit," said bassist Gene Simmons, 60, who was born Chaim Witz in Israel and formed Kiss with Stanley in 1972 after the two played together in the New York group Wicked Lester.
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