Over the years, many people have claimed that they brought KISS to Cadillac. I can't tell you how many bogus stories I've heard from people whose uncles, aunts, cousins, or friends have claimed that they were responsible for the whole thing. Well, I brought KISS to Cadillac, and here are some documents and letters to prove it. -- Jim Neff
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The letter that started it all. After corresponding with KISS management for nearly a year, I finally made a formal proposal for KISS to visit Cadillac High School. At this point the thought of KISS actually playing a concert was more of a hope than a reality. A couple of weeks later Allan Miller called me and we began trading ideas. Before we knew it the event took on a life of its own. |
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This is the original letter from the manager of KISS, Bill Aucoin. After I sent the band a letter telling them what we were doing, Aucoin responded with this and things really started rolling. Incidentally, Aucoin was instrumental in the creation of KISS. As a Broadway producer, he had a knack for staging and make-up. He was also in on the selection of the band's name. |
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Alan Miller was the person in the KISS organization who really worked hard to put the visit together. He sent me this letter after the event, along with a bundle of KISS posters and photos. |
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Everyone always wondered how we pulled off the event with virtually no trouble. I credit the teachers and students of CHS who worked hard to make everything run smoothly. In this blurb from the cadillac paper, law officials praise the good behavior of the crowd. |
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John Laurent was the principal at CHS, and he deserves a lot of credit for making the event happen. It took a lot of faith in his students for him to approve everything. Here is his letter to me after the visit. |
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Superintendent Bill Smith also deserves a lot of credit. Not every administrator would go out on a limb and invite a heavy metal band like KISS into his school, but he did. He even wore a painted face! |
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Just to show the enduring link between KISS and Cadillac, here's a letter Gene and Paul sent the football team on the 15th anniversary of their visit. Even in 1990, they still were pulling for a homecoming victory. |
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