Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick recently shared memories about his early days with the band and the clear instructions he got from Paul Stanley. He opened up about this in a piece on KISS Online.
Kulick talked about the big moment he officially became KISS’s lead guitarist. With Mark St. John sidelined by health problems, Kulick stepped in during the Animalize tour. He remembered getting a call from Paul Stanley a week before they filmed Animalize Live for MTV. Paul told him straight: “We’re sending Mark home. You’re now the lead guitarist in KISS, and we need you to be competitive and the best you can be.”
Stanley wanted him to match the high level of guitar work that was popular at the time, mentioning players like Eddie Van Halen. Kulick said he embraced the challenge, blending those influences into his own style without copying anyone outright.
Once the Animalize tour was a success, Kulick began to really feel at home. Preparing for the next album and tour, he thought, “This is home now. I’m the new lead guitarist in KISS. This is going to work.”
Kulick also looked back on the MTV era, explaining that during the Asylum period, KISS was competing with all the big hair metal bands. He had to be flashy, look like a rock star, and draw fans in — especially women, which he noted was a big part of rock’s appeal back then. Even without the trademark makeup, he felt KISS still stood out as their own unique thing.
During his 12 years with the band, from 1984 to 1996, Kulick was the only member who never wore KISS’s famous face paint on stage. This made him visually different while he helped keep their signature sound alive.
He earned multiple Platinum and Gold records with the band and was a key part of albums like Asylum, Crazy Nights, and Hot in the Shade. After KISS, he kept busy in music, joining bands like UNION and the Eric Singer Project, and working on KISS projects including Psycho Circus and solo efforts by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
