BRUCE KULICK Pays Tribute To Late THE KNACK Singer

Former KISS and current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist Bruce Kulick has issued the following update:

"This past Sunday, one week after the passing of THE KNACK singer and frontman Doug Fieger, a memorial service was held at his home in Los Angeles, California for his close friends and family.

"I met Doug about four years ago when we did the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp together. I was impressed with his talent and passion for music, and from working with him I got to see that Doug was a gentle soul who really cared about people.

"I was at his home about a year after the camp to ask him about him performing on a song for my new solo disc. He loved the music and agreed to sing on it.

"After showing me many of his vintage instruments and gear, it was clear that we both shared a deep appreciation of the music that we loved and the instruments that we used to create our sounds. He sang the song 'Dirty Girl' about a year after that, as my schedule and his treatment for the cancer that took his life would dictate when we could get the job done.

"Doug was a total pro. He came into the studio and nailed the song in an hour, including his tambourine part!

"I kept him informed on the progress of the tune, and, of course, once it was mixed I shared the end result with him. He was very pleased with the song, and that was important to me, but I always wanted him to see the final product.

"At my Cat Club CD-release party on February 1st, I met THE KNACK bassist Prescott Niles, who told me he would be seeing Doug that week. I gave him a copy of 'BK3' and asked him to please give it to Doug along with my best regards. I called his home 10 days later to see if I could speak to him or his family. His lovely sister Beth answered and confirmed that Doug did indeed get the CD and that it was on his dresser. I was not aware at the time that his battle with lung cancer would be taking his life only a few days later.

"Doug passed away on Sunday, February 14th. It was news I was expecting at some point but that I never wanted to hear.

"Yesterday, a week later, I found myself at his home again, this time to pay my respects.

"I remember his house being meticulous, but musical: he has a Ringo BEATLES drum set in the living room, along with various Vox amps. 'How cool was that?' I thought!

"I spoke with his family, and Prescott, of course, was there, as well as other musicians that knew Doug. After some testimonials from the people closest to him (even 'the' Sharona who inspired the hit song),I realized what an intense and sad reality Doug had to deal with after he found out about his cancer.

"His older brother Jeffery said it the best, that he learned the word 'courage' from Doug, and that the powerful way his younger brother dealt with this illness was a lesson he will never forget.

"Shortly after that I noticed some of my music heroes in attendance at the home, as both Jeff Lynne from ELO and Joe Walsh of the EAGLES had come to pay their respects.

"The event felt totally surreal to me when none other than Ringo Starr and his lovely wife Barbara Bach walked in.

"What an amazing tribute for Doug to have known a member of THE BEATLES well enough to have him attend his memorial.

"I could never have known from the comparatively brief amount of time I spent with Doug how much he meant to so many people. He touched many lives with his music, but it was his personal relationships with his friends and industry mates that brought everyone together to say their goodbyes to a man that will be very missed.

"I was just lucky enough to have met him and worked with him before he left us."