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The Kiss Army is the official fan club
Fan club

A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fanclubs are run by Fan who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them....
 for the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 rock band Kiss
KISS (band)

Kiss is an United States Rock music Musical ensemble formed in New York City in December 1972. Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid and late-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and...
, as well as the unofficial name used to refer to Kiss fans in general. It was started unofficially in 1975, by fans Bill Starkey and Jay Evans.

anuary 1975, Starkey and Evans, two teenage KISS fans from Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, Indiana near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 59,614 and its Terre Haute metropolitan area had a population of 170,943....
, began contacting local radio station WVTS in an effort to get KISS music played. After being repeatedly turned down by program director
Program director

In service industries such as education, a program director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services....
 Rich Dickerson
Rich Dickerson

Rich Dickerson is a talk radio host for WZZR 94.3 FM in South Florida and presenter of the show The Love Doctors. He is attributed with inadvertently inciting fans of the band Kiss to start the official Kiss fan club, the Kiss Army....
, Starkey and Evans began calling WVTS claiming to be "the KISS Army." Additionally, they sent letters to the station and signed them, "Bill Starkey–President of the KISS Army," and "Jay Evans–Field Marshall." By July 1975, WVTS had begun to play KISS records, often referring to the KISS Army.






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The Kiss Army is the official fan club
Fan club

A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fanclubs are run by Fan who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them....
 for the American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 rock band Kiss
KISS (band)

Kiss is an United States Rock music Musical ensemble formed in New York City in December 1972. Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid and late-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and...
, as well as the unofficial name used to refer to Kiss fans in general. It was started unofficially in 1975, by fans Bill Starkey and Jay Evans.

History

In January 1975, Starkey and Evans, two teenage KISS fans from Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, Indiana near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 59,614 and its Terre Haute metropolitan area had a population of 170,943....
, began contacting local radio station WVTS in an effort to get KISS music played. After being repeatedly turned down by program director
Program director

In service industries such as education, a program director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services....
 Rich Dickerson
Rich Dickerson

Rich Dickerson is a talk radio host for WZZR 94.3 FM in South Florida and presenter of the show The Love Doctors. He is attributed with inadvertently inciting fans of the band Kiss to start the official Kiss fan club, the Kiss Army....
, Starkey and Evans began calling WVTS claiming to be "the KISS Army." Additionally, they sent letters to the station and signed them, "Bill Starkey–President of the KISS Army," and "Jay Evans–Field Marshall." By July 1975, WVTS had begun to play KISS records, often referring to the KISS Army. Some of the letters included threats to blow up the station. Before long, listeners started calling the station asking how they could enlist.

Dickerson worked with Starkey and Evans to provide advance promotion for a KISS concert at the new Hulman Civic-University Center
Hulman Center

Hulman Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, Indiana, United States. Initially named the Hulman Civic-University Center, the facility opened on December 13, 1973....
 in Terre Haute. Before the show, KISS publicist Alan Miller contacted Starkey to discuss the KISS Army. At Miller's request, Starkey and Evans took phone calls on the air at WVTS to recruit as many members as possible for the KISS Army. As a result of these efforts, the November 21 show sold out (10,000 seats). During the concert, Starkey was brought on stage and given a plaque by KISS.

Soon after the Terre Haute concert, the KISS Army became the official fan club of the group. Order forms for the KISS Army first appeared in November 1976's Destroyer
Destroyer

In navy terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a Naval fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers ....
. Former head of KISS merchandising Ron Boutwell estimated that the fan club (at its peak) earned US$
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
 5,000 per day, and had nearly 100,000 members.

After a period of inactivity, KISS announced the re-launch of the KISS Army as the group's official fan club on August 23, 2007.

On May 29, 2008, Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice was the 66th United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President of the United States George W....
, the United States Secretary of State
Secretary of State

Secretary of State is a commonly used title for a member of government. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the government....
 enlisted in the KISS Army.

See also

  • Blue Army
    Blue Army (Aerosmith)

    Blue Army is a term that refers to United States hard rock band Aerosmith's loyal fanbase....
  • Turbojugend
    Turbojugend

    Turbojugend sometimes shortened to TJ is the international fan club of the Norway rock band Turbonegro. A turbojugend member can be recognised by their specially-made denim jackets with the Turbonegro logo and "Turbojugend [name of chapter]" stitched on the back....