KISS Members Talk Being Recognized At 2025 'Kennedy Center Honors': 'It's The Embodiment Of The American Dream'

The Kennedy Center channel on YouTube has uploaded a one-and-a-half-minute video in which the three living original members of KISS — guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss — talk about being reunited at the Kennedy Center Honors on December 7 in Washington D.C., less than two months after the death of their longtime bandmate, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley.

Stanley, Simmons and Criss were all clad in black tuxedos and medals at the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts for the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors, which was hosted by U.S. president Donald Trump and also honored songwriter George Strait, actors Michael Crawford and Sylvester Stallone and singer Gloria Gaynor.

 Stanley said: "It's really surreal because it's the embodiment of the American dream."

Simmons chimed in: "We were awed by the singers, some of the best singers we've ever seen. America gave the world rock and roll, and this celebration at the Kennedy Center is all about that.

"The greatest honor in the world for us right here in America is that the president allows us to celebrate this thing that America invented."

Criss said: "Ace Frehley, as you know, passed away not long ago. He was a major part of this band. And so tonight I got to sit next to his chair, and I broke down quite a few times."

Added Stanley: "Most of us came from nothing. My mother came from Germany, fled the Holocaust. You see the American flag, you see the Statue Of Liberty, and you realize all things are possible."

As in years past, the December 7 gala was turned into a broadcast special that aired on CBS and Paramount+ on December 23.

Reflecting on the fact that Ace died less than two months before he was supposed to be honored alongside his bandmates, Gene said:  "The saddest thing of all is that Ace couldn't live long enough to see this amazing thing."

Paul chimed in: "You can't build something without a strong foundation. And Ace and Peter and Gene and I are that foundation."

Gene added: "We are there at the finish line with Peter. And Ace is up there and he's gonna be watching and proud."

Stanley went on to say that KISS receiving the Kennedy Center honor is the culmination of decades of hard work.

"We are products of the American dream," he explained. "There are opportunities, and they're not always the same for everybody, but you're willing to work hard and find out how much something matters to you by how much you're willing to work to get it."

Trump praised this year's honorees as "perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled."

Before presenting Simmons, Stanley and Criss, along with Frehley's daughter Monique, with their medals, Trump called KISS an "incredible rock band" and acknowledged Ace, "who now is resting in peace", adding that the guitarist's "beautiful daughter is here to accept the award."

According to Billboard, Ace became only the third person to receive a Kennedy Center Honor posthumously, following two other group members who likewise died after the groups' awards were first announced: Glenn Frey of EAGLES and Phil Lesh of GRATEFUL DEAD.

The day of Frehley's passing, Simmons, shared a touching statement reflecting on the guitarist's impact and the Kennedy Center Honor.

"Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on," Gene wrote. "No one can touch Ace's legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn't live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!"

Trump announced the honorees in August during a press conference at the performing arts center.

When KISS's Kennedy Center Honor was first announced, Simmons told TMZ: "KISS is the embodiment of the American Dream. We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor."

Stanley added: "From our earliest days, KISS has embodied the American ideal that all things are possible and that hard work pays off. The prestige of the Kennedy Center Honors cannot be overstated and I accept this on behalf of the long legacy of kiss and all of the band members who helped create our iconic band."

Frehley, meanwhile, called the Kennedy Center Honor "a dream come true that I never thought would materialize."

Criss kept his statement simple, saying: "I feel so blessed. This is the greatest honor of our career."

During his first term, Trump seemingly paid no attention to the Kennedy Center, often skipping the honors ceremony. He has since vowed to transform the marquee arts center, first ousting its leadership board, then filling the board of trustees with his loyalists.

In September 2020, Frehley called Trump "the strongest leader that we've got." Two years earlier, the original KISS guitarist also expressed his support for America's 45th president during an appearance on the "Juliet: Unexpected" podcast. At the time, he said about Trump: "Whether you love him or hate him, if you're an American and you're a patriot, you should get behind your president. He was elected. We live under the Constitution of the United States, and you're supposed to support your president. Love him or hate him, you're supposed to support him, or go move to another country.

"Being American, we have the right to free speech, and I'm all for everybody putting their two cents in on everything," he added. "But when musicians or actors get really verbal and jump on a bandwagon against our government, I don't agree with that."

The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world. Recipients have each had an impact on the rich tapestry of American life and culture through the performing arts. Whether in music, dance, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television, each Kennedy Center honoree has a unique place in the fabric of our nation and their influence has inspired audiences from all walks of life.

The honoree selection process includes solicitation of recommendations from former honorees, the artistic community, the Kennedy Center board of trustees, and the general public. This year's selected honorees were chosen based on the recommendation of the Center's special honors advisory committee.