W.A.S.P.'s BLACKIE LAWLESS Pays Tribute To BOB KULICK: 'An Extraordinary Talent Has Now Been Silenced'

W.A.S.P. leader Blackie Lawless has paid tribute to legendary guitarist and record producer Bob Kulick, who played on two of the band's albums, "The Crimson Idol" (1992) and "Still Not Black Enough" (1995).

Kulick died on Friday (May 29) at the age of 70. His passing was confirmed by his brother, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick. A cause of death has not been revealed.

In a statement issued Friday night, Lawless said: "When voices we know are suddenly silenced, we are left stunned and solemn. An extraordinary talent has now been silenced.

"I owe a large debt of gratitude to the one I nicknamed '3-day Bob'. I'm not sure if he would ever know how much his talent would be held in awe by his peers and the world.

"As time passes in our lives, we reflect on what we have had, lost, and what we will miss the most.

"I was fortunate enough to have worked with him, and spend time with him going to Yankee games. We would talk about baseball more than music. His remarkable gifts left a uniquely indelible mark on my career and my life. I'll always have those records to go back and listen to if I want to hear him speak. But if you wanna know who he really was, just listen to the music he made. Few, and I mean few, could do what this man did with an instrument. I used the word earlier… but I must use it again…EXTRAORDINARY!!"

Throughout his 40-plus-year music career, Bob Kulick has worked with an astonishing array of artists: from Meat Loaf to MOTÖRHEAD; from KISS to Michael Bolton; W.A.S.P. to Diana Ross; as well as legends such as Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed and Paul Stanley's first solo LP and tour.

Bob began his musical profession at 16 — when most high schoolers are still trying to figure out where they're going in life — appearing on the 1966 album "Winchester Cathedral" from the RANDOM BLUES BAND, the "baby band" that Bob played in that played The Café Wha in New York's Greenwich Village alongside Jimmy James and the BLUE FLAMES (later rechristened Jimi Hendrix).

1973 saw Kulick make the connection that he has been associated the most with throughout his career. He auditioned for — and got passed over by — KISS. Instead of being dejected, the six-stringer aligned himself with the band over the years, playing on the studio material on "Kiss Alive II", providing solos on the "Killers" album, co-writing "Naked City" from "Unmasked" and guesting on Paul Stanley's 1979 solo album and tour a decade later. He even suggested his brother to the band.