KISS Debunk Long Rumored Satanic Acronym

KISS is a name that captures a lot of imagery, but according to the band themselves, one thing it shouldn’t conjure up is Satanism.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Howard Stern Show, Paul Stanley debunked the long-standing rumor that KISS was actually an acronym for “Knights in Satan’s Service. “We’re smart, but we’re not that smart,” revealed the vocalist to Stern.

The group actually started as Wicked Lester, before deciding on a name change. Both Stanley and Gene Simmons offered some insight on some of the fun they had coming up with the band name. Stanley recalls making the initial suggestion of KISS as a potential band name while driving around in his car. “To me, KISS was a word that transcended the English language. You could go almost anywhere in the world and say the word KISS and people would go, ‘Oh, I’ve heard of them.’ It’s like calling a band water. And a kiss of death, a kiss of passion – it just seemed to incorporate all the elements of what we were doing.”

Simmons also recalled a rather a naughty alternative band name in F–k. When asked if it was true the name was under consideration, Simmons confirmed, “We were talking about it … first record could be It, the second record could be You, but it wasn’t serious.”

The Howard Stern Show appearance brought some big news yesterday as the band confirmed the final date of their “End of the Road” tour. They’ll finish things up in their hometown of New York at Madison Square Garden on the second of a two-night stand Dec. 2. They also revealed new U.S. tour dates as we head toward the final show. However, while the band confirmed this is the final date of the “End of the Road” tour, they left the door open for other opportunities such as one-off shows, residencies or festival appearances. You can get your tickets for KISS’ upcoming tour dates here.