22 year old Swedish Idol winner Erik Gronwall's new album is coming out in Sweden on June 2 and features a song written by Paul Stanley! You may remember Erik performed "Shout It Out Loud" during the last year's Idol season. Joey Tempest (Europe) and Andreas Carlsson (who co-wrote songs with Paul on his LIVE TO WIN album) also wrote songs for the album. Titled Somewhere Between A Rock And A Hard Place, the album will be proceeded by the single "Crash And Burn" in April.



Below is a message from KISS to Erik during last year's "Idol" finals.



Erik performs KISS's "Shout it Out Loud" on Swedish Idol before a sold-out Malmoe Arena of 12,000!

Here's a clip of Gene's Monday night appearance on Lopez Tonight. George wants KISS in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Drummer extraordinaire Eric Singer packed the house at the 2010 Indianapolis KISS Expo on Sunday, March 21. Over 700 energetic KISS fans swarmed the Ramada Inn East to come out and see the KISS drummer who is on a short break before the rock icons return overseas for the Sonic Boom Over Europe tour. Eric signed autographs nonstop for eight hours. It was so busy that he could not even leave the KISSonline booth for a Q&A session, instead answering questions directly from the booth as expo staff roamed the crowd with a mic!

An all-kids KISS tribute band, "KIDS," warmed up the enthusiastic crowd with a short setlist. The band members are all between the ages of 11 and 14 and they definitely kicked off the day with a bang! KIDS closed with a fast-paced "Modern Day Delilah" and then handed out DVDs of some of their previous concerts.

During our KISSonline video presentation, we surprised guest of honor Christopher "Critter" Smith by showing the crowd a clip of Critter meeting KISS last year in Milwaukee!

Later in the day, fan-favorite KISS tribute band MR. SPEED rocked the ballroom with a great set, which included "All For The Glory", "When Lightning Strikes" and "Say Yeah!".

It was a special day for everyone involved. Numerous fans commented that this was their first convention, and that the expo was everything they hoped it would be and more.

Another great day celebrating the greatest band in the world with the greatest fans ever!

Thanks to Rich Kosak, Bill Starkey and Karen Menyhart for taking these photos for KISSonline!

The generosity of KISS fans and the bond that fans share with each other is well documented, and at the INDY KISS Fan Expo, not only the fans, but the band too, along with Cort Guitars and artist Michael Doret showed love towards Chris "Critter" Smith -- a young KISS fan suffering from cancer. The band donated a 2-ticket Meet & Greet package to an upcoming KISS show, Cort donated a Gene Simmons Axe Bass, and Michael Doret donated a limited edition autographed Sonic Boom lithograph for a special raffle to benefit Critter.

The raffle winners were chosen at 5:30 on the expo stage by Eric and Critter. Eric pulled his own ticket and won the SONIC BOOM signed litho, promptly giving it to Critter as the crowd clapped and cheered. Eric then selected the next winner and the Gene Simmons bass went to Lonnie Weishaar . Critter selected the final winning ticket and Rich Kozak from Mr. Speed won. But Rich graciously asked that we choose another winner since he had met the band previously and wanted someone else to have the experience. Critter then drew another ticket and the Meet & Greet package went to Rick Starosto.

With the help of the KISS Army, we were able to present over $2000 to Critter's family!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the KISSonline booth to support this great cause and make Critter feel so special.

KISS Fans are the greatest!


Thanks to Bill Starkey for taking these photos for KISSonline!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Dear KISS,

I would like to let you know that my dance studio is performing to a mix of your amazing songs entitled 'Party Everyday.' We have five boys in our dance studio and thought this would be a great idea for our big production number. Since KISS only has four members, we took our youngest male dancer and made him 'mini' Gene Simmons. I am Ace Frehley, the space man.

We are competing in the nationals in July!

Sincerely,

Matthew Palumbo and all of us at Stella's Dancers' Studio.

Photo by Tony Schreiber

LETTERS

Check out this clip of KISS Tribute Band 'KIDS' performing "Modern Day Deliliah" at yesterday's Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo.

Thanks to James Wallace Jr for sending the clip to KISSonline. KISSonline will have a full report on Fan Expo tonight.

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

KISS,

I'm a Speech instructor at my local college. I often use KISS as an example in my lesson plans. My class has watched several KISS press conferences and parts of a concert to illustrate the public speaking skills of celebrities. KISS has been such an inspiration throughout my life, there's no way not to include them. Thanks for all the life lessons and for keeping the magic alive all these years.

Bill France Logan, WV

LETTERS

CELEBRITY CHEF LIST KISS AS A CULINARY INFLUENCE

by Greg Morabito

In the April issue of Guitar Aficionado, celebrity chef and bestselling author Rocco Dispirito reveals that he got into the restaurant business because he wanted money to build his record collection. Says Dispirito:

"As a child growing up in the Seventies, I was big time into Kiss. Their album 'Love Gun' came out when I was around 11 years old, and I had to have it. I asked my Mom for the money to buy it, and she said to me (in thick Italian accent) "You want the money? You go get a job." I didn't even know I could get a job at that age."

But get a job he did - one that taught him how to win over the public with the quick flash of a smile:

"I made 50 cents an hour and fell in love with the business. The idea that, just by cutting a slice of pizza, pouring a fountain soda, smiling a little, I could make someone's day a little better, totally hooked me."

Thanks to Ron Buckley for sending to KISSonline.

The new KISS / Dr Pepper Cherry commercial was already viewed over 1 million times on the Dr Pepper YouTube video channel!

Dr Pepper Cherry and Dr Love re-unite to show the world just how smooth a Little Kiss of cherry is. Trust me, I'm a Dr.

Check out these great KISS tattoos! Thanks to the KISS Army for sharing them with the band. Please keep sending KISSonline your KISS tattoos, artwork, photos and stories.

The KISS hellrasier lists his all-time animated favourites

1. Max Fleischer's Superman

These original animations by Max Fleischer were like little movies and so realistically drawn. Seeing them as a kid, my jaw would drop. Like Fleischer, other major cartoonists like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Bob Kane who did Batman, were almost always exclusively Jewish and created these kinds of superheroes with secret identities. The secret is that Superman is really Jewish.

2. Michigan J Frog

He first appeared in a fifties Warner Bros short (One Froggy Evening). A construction worker finds a century old suitcase in a building's cornerstone and out comes this frog bursting into song with top hat and cane. With dollar signs in his eyes the man puts him in front of an audience but the frog doesn't sing and he loses all his money. So the frog's put back into the suitcase and the situation repeats itself in the 21st century. It shows the greed in man.

Check out these great photos of the KISS Army. Please keep the photos and letters coming to KISSonline..the band loves seeing them!

ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE FEATURED IN CARTOON STRIP

The nationally syndicated cartoon strip "Dog Eat Doug" by Brian Anderson featured the Rock N' Roll National Anthem in Saturday, March 13th's strip.

Thanks to Chris James for sending the image to KISSonline!

Corporate meets entertainment at the opening and closing of each trading day. What better place to bring KISS and Dr Pepper together?

By Tina Susman

KISS guitarist Paul Stanley fluffed his thick, shaggy hair as bassist Gene Simmons fidgeted in the background, their eyes looped in black makeup, faces painted chalky white. As the seconds counted down to 4 p.m., Stanley leaned on the green button in front of him.

"Clang, clang, clang!" went the bell as the clock struck the top of the hour.

Flap, flap, flap went Simmons' famous tongue, stretching to the tip of his chin and back again.

"Bang!" went the gavel, which Stanley brought down with a thud. The white-haired man next to him, Larry Young, head of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, smiled gamely and hoisted a Dr Pepper Cherry soda.

It was closing time at the New York Stock Exchange, and if it weren't for the fact that a Scottish terrier named Sadie, the Aflac duck, Sports Illustrated swimsuit models and snowboard champ Shaun White would soon stand on the same platform, the KISS-meets-Dr-Pepper spectacle might have been more of -- well -- a spectacle.

But abnormal has become normal on the ornate bell podium. The stage once reserved for corporate leaders has become one of the nation's highest profile red carpets, a result of the global melding of the corporate world with entertainment, sports, politics and social causes.

KISS & the KISS Army!!

Check out my great KISS tattoo! Thanks for all the music.....Please come back to Argentina!

Best,
Diego Ferreyra

LETTERS