Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick recently addressed the controversial decision to have Tommy Thayer take over Ace Frehley’s iconic Spaceman persona. He shared his thoughts in an interview with Count’s Kulture.
Kulick reflected on whether he would have accepted an offer to return to KISS as the Spaceman. He explained his perspective on the band’s decision-making process.
“Obviously once Ace was not happy and didn’t wanna be back in the band anymore, with the huge success, were they gonna ask me to be the Spaceman? And I had to struggle with that,” Kulick said.
The guitarist also discussed his commitment to Grand Funk Railroad. He described the internal conflict he would have faced if KISS had approached him.
“I was happy with [being a member of the legendary American rock band] Grand Funk [Railroad from 2000 to 2023]. I don’t know what I would’ve done if they’d [asked me to come back to KISS], because I know what it is to have that lifestyle and be in KISS,” he continued.
Kulick ultimately expressed that he believes the band made the right choice with Thayer. This came despite the mixed reactions from fans.
“But in retrospect, they didn’t ask, number one, but number two, more importantly, was I really think I would’ve kind of pooped on my era [of KISS] if I suddenly just became Ace Frehley. And I was never asked to be that, where Tommy does a beautiful job of that. And [he was] loved and hated for it. But he does a beautiful job of it,” he concluded.
Kulick’s comments shed light on a pivotal moment in KISS history that has remained a source of debate among fans for over two decades.
Bruce Kulick’s official biography revealed that the guitarist served as KISS’s lead guitarist for twelve years from 1984 to 1996. He performed around the world and recorded five studio albums with the band. His tenure began when he replaced Mark St. John, who left due to reactive arthritis. He became an integral part of KISS during their non-makeup era. KISS Wiki noted that Kulick was the only long-term KISS guitarist who never wore the band’s iconic face paint on stage. This established his own identity within the group’s legacy.
When Ace Frehley departed KISS again in 2002 following the Kiss Farewell Tour, the band faced a crucial decision about his replacement. Guitar World documented that Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley believed Tommy Thayer could better capture and copy Frehley’s persona than Kulick could. Thayer was the former Black ‘n Blue guitarist and KISS tour manager. This decision marked a significant shift in the band’s approach, as they chose to have new members adopt the original personas rather than create new characters.
The choice to have Thayer assume the Spaceman identity represented more than just a personnel change. It was a strategic decision to maintain the visual and theatrical elements that had defined KISS’s original lineup. Grand Funk Railroad’s official site confirmed that Kulick had moved on to join Grand Funk Railroad from 2000 to 2023. This suggested he had already established a new musical path when the opportunity might have arisen. The decision ultimately preserved the iconic KISS personas while allowing the band to continue their farewell tour concept with recognizable characters.
Despite not being asked to return, Kulick’s legacy with KISS remains significant. He contributed to some of the band’s most commercially successful albums during the 1980s and 1990s. His diplomatic response to the Thayer situation demonstrates both his professionalism and his understanding of the complex dynamics that drive KISS’s theatrical rock spectacle.
