PAUL STANLEY Says TOMMY THAYER Has Earned His Place In KISS

Marty Hughley of The Oregonian reports that Portland native Tommy Thayer is living large these days as lead guitarist for KISS, taking over for original member Ace Frehley, even donning the famous Spaceman makeup and costume. It's a career peak for a self-described "geeky kid from Beaverton" who fell under the KISS spell when he was 13.

"He's very much like we are," KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley said of Thayer. "We started KISS because we love rock 'n' roll and we weren't seeing the kind of band we really wanted. So, I'm not only in the band, but I'm a fan of the band. And so's Tommy."

With regards to the fact that Thayer has adopted Ace's Spaceman costume and makeup rather than taking on an identity of his own, Stanley said, "There's no way we're gonna dilute the image by putting Chicken Man, or whatever, onstage. By this point, you can go almost anywhere in the world and show someone a picture of KISS and they'll know who it is. But you'd be hard-pressed to find all that many people who know the individuals. KISS is a philosophy, a way of looking at the fans as well as the band.

"[Tommy's] proved himself to be solid," Stanley added. "Not just as a musician, but in many respects, as a person. Hot players are a dime a dozen. There are a whole lot of slimebags and drug addicts who can play guitar really well. That's not what it takes to get up there.

"You gotta remember that the first major show he played with KISS was in a huge stadium with a 70-piece orchestra. If you can handle that, you can handle anything. It was his turn to get off the bench and start hitting home runs." Read more.