Bruce Kulick

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Bruce Howard Kulick (Template:IPAc-en;<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> born December 12, 1953) is an American guitarist best known as a former guitarist of the band Kiss (1984Template:Ndash1996). He was also a member of Union with John Corabi from 1997Template:Ndash2002, Blackjack from 1979Template:Ndash1980 and Grand Funk Railroad from 2000Template:Ndash2023.

Kulick has also released several solo albums, in addition to session work with various artists. He is the younger brother of guitarist Bob Kulick.

Early life and family

Kulick was born in Brooklyn, New York City and lived in Queens for a time,<ref name="MetalMuscle">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> graduating from Newtown High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is Jewish and also went to Hebrew school.<ref>Bruce Kulick – Journey of a Frontman https://journeyofafrontman.com/2015/01/07/on-the-line-with-bruce-kulick/ January 7, 2015 – Bruce Kulick is the only musician in the world who can say that he has rocked ... Bruce Kulick: With the Jewish religion, there's something called ...</ref><ref>Get Ready to ROCK! Interview with Bruce Kulick, guitarist with Kiss ... http://www.getreadytorock.com/10questions/bruce_kulick2.htm Interview with Bruce Kulick, guitarist with Kiss, Union and Grand Funk ... I was young, having to go to Hebrew School, so I couldn't play in the high school band.</ref><ref>Rock Eyez – Interview with Bruce Kulick- Guitar – BK, (form. KISS ... http://www.rockeyez.com/interviews/int-2010-01-bmr-bruce-kulick-bk.html KISS/Grand Funk Railroad), 2009 Interview, Featuring artist and band interviews, ... Bruce Kulick: Well you have to understand that the band at the time was trying to fit in, .... Bruce Kulick: I do have a pendant of a Jewish star that is very much ...</ref>

Kulick's brother, session guitarist/producer Bob Kulick, was influential in his music career.<ref name="MetalMuscle" /> Bob's performance credits include W.A.S.P., Meat Loaf's touring band, and Kiss.

Career

File:Bruce Kulick.jpg
Kulick in 2013

Early projects

Bruce's first band KKB, was formed in 1974.<ref name="MaulStanley">Template:Cite web</ref> Its other members were his childhood friends Mike Katz and Guy Bois (the other K and B of KKB, respectively) and Kulick likened its sound to that of Cream.<ref name="MaulStanley" /> Kulick found the master tape from those sessions in 2008 and issued it via limited edition CD, available during his appearances at Kiss expos and via his website.<ref name="MaulStanley" /> In an interview from 2008, Kulick also discussed his lifelong love of Star Wars and its historical similarities to Kiss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He first began touring professionally with George McCrae<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Andrea True.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">Template:Cite book</ref>

Meat Loaf

In 1977, following the release of Meat Loaf's first album Bat Out of Hell, Kulick played rhythm guitar/lead guitar on tour with Meat Loaf's band alongside his brother Bob on lead guitar/rhythm guitar.<ref name="MetalMuscle" /><ref name="GFR">Template:Cite web</ref> The success of the year-long tour took the Kulick brothers around the world. In addition to the success of the tour, many famous television appearances were done, such as Saturday Night Live<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and The Old Grey Whistle Test.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Blackjack

Kulick was a member of the band Blackjack, with Michael Bolton, during the band's short existence from 1979 to 1980.<ref name="MetalMuscle" /><ref name="GFR" /> He also played on several Bolton solo albums.<ref name="MetalMuscle" /> (Bolton later co-wrote the Kiss song "Forever", from Hot in the Shade).

"Stay", a Blackjack song co-written by Kulick and Bolton, was sampled by rapper Jay-Z for the song "A Dream" off his 2002 album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse which reached #1 on the Billboard charts.

The Good Rats

Kulick joined the Long Island-based band the Good Rats in 1981, and is on their album, Great American Music.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref>

Michael Bolton

In 1983, Bruce was asked to join Michael Bolton as his guitarist for his debut album release tour, after Bolton anglicizing his family name from Bolotin.<ref>Liner Notes; Michael Bolton CD (1983, Columbia/CBS Records)</ref><ref name="StLouis">Template:Cite web</ref>

Kiss (1984–1996)

File:Kiss (1988).png
Kulick (right) with Kiss in 1988

Kulick joined the rock band Kiss in September 1984 as the lead guitarist, replacing Mark St. John, who left the band after being diagnosed with reactive arthritis. St. John later confessed that this medical condition had been a cover story, saying "The arthritis thing was really a cover up for the other reasons, you know what I'm trying to say?"<ref name="ucr">Template:Cite web</ref> Kulick, who remained with Kiss until 1996, and St. John are the only two members of Kiss never to have worn makeup or costumes in the band, although it is rumored that Gene Simmons’s step-niece has come up with unofficial designs for both of them which have garnered approval.Template:Citation needed

Kulick played on five Kiss studio albums: Asylum (1985), Crazy Nights (1987), Hot in the Shade (1989), Revenge (1992) and Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997); he also appeared on Alive III and MTV Unplugged.<ref name="Music Legends">Template:Cite web</ref> The song "I Walk Alone", from Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions, is the only Kiss track to feature Kulick as lead vocalist.Template:Citation needed Kulick is featured on more than twenty Kiss releases.

When the original members of the band regrouped, starting in 1995 with the MTV Unplugged special that carried over into re-adopting their make-up and costuming for the Alive/Worldwide Tour in 1996, Kulick and Eric Singer were paid weekly during the tour; while "sidelined" from Kiss, both were allowed to do other projects as long as Simmons and Stanley okayed them.<ref>Sherman, Black Diamond, p. 244.</ref> Kulick officially left Kiss in December 1996.<ref>Sherman, Black Diamond, p. 248.</ref> When Ace Frehley again left Kiss (in 2002, after the Kiss Farewell Tour), Kulick was not asked to rejoin, as Simmons and Stanley thought that Tommy Thayer (former Black 'n Blue guitarist and Kiss tour manager) could capture/copy Frehley's persona better than Kulick; however, Kulick continued to work with Kiss after his departure, contributing work to the Psycho Circus album. Kulick briefly rejoined the band on Kiss Kruise 2021 and played on 2 songs, Tears Are Falling and Heaven's on Fire.

Union

Soon after leaving Kiss, Kulick formed the band Union with John Corabi, Brent Fitz, and Jamie Hunting in 1996. Corabi and Kulick wrote what would become the first album, the self-titled Union, which was released in 1998. They proceeded with a nationwide acoustic tour to promote the album, featuring just Corabi and Kulick (both on guitar). Soon the full band went on a world tour headlining small venues in support of the album. Their second album 1999's Live in the Galaxy, was a live recording with two acoustic tracks recorded in a mobile studio. The third Union album was The Blue Room (2000).

Grand Funk Railroad

File:BruceKulickGFR2002.jpg
Kulick performing with Grand Funk Railroad in 2002

Kulick was the lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad from 2000–2023. Kulick had originally met Grand Funk Railroad drummer Don Brewer when Brewer was performing with Bob Seger during the 1983 tour with Michael Bolton. Following their December 14, 2023 concert in Marietta, Ohio, Kulick departed Grand Funk Railroad.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Solo work

Kulick has released three solo albums: Audiodog in 2001, Transformer in 2003, and most recently BK3, which was released on February 2, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other work

Kulick earned a writing credit on the song "Never Let Me Down" on the 2004 Kanye West album, The College Dropout.

Kulick has also appeared on all album releases by Eric Singer's solo project ESP (Eric Singer Project): Lost and Spaced (1998), ESP (1999), and Eric Singer Project: Live in Tokyo (2006). Kulick also appeared on the DVD Eric Singer Project: Live at the Marquee (2006), which was filmed live in Australia.

Kulick appears on the Lordi March 2006 album The Arockalypse, playing lead guitar on the song "It Snows in Hell".

Kulick appears on Paul Stanley's 2006 album Live to Win, playing bass.

Kulick cut a guest guitar solo for the track "The Edge of the Razor" (featured on the album Emotional Coma) by Swedish metal group Lion's Share.

Personal life

On October 16, 2003, Kulick was shot twice by stray bullets on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bruce is married to Lisa Lane Kulick.<ref name="Wedding">Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref> They met in 2008, and were married in 2014. They often perform together at events and online. In his spare time, he's been working on an autobiography that he says will offer a "really in-depth discussion of his life as a musician."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

with Mike Katz, Guy Bois

  • KKB 1974 (2008)
  • Got to Get Back (2015)

Rosetta

  • Where's My Hero (1980)

with Billy Squier

with Blackjack

with The Good Rats

  • Great American Music (1981)
  • Tasty Seconds (1996)

with Michael Bolton

with Kiss

Kiss Video albums

with Union

with ESP

  • Lost & Spaced (1998)
  • ESP (1999)
  • Live in Japan (2006)
  • Live at the Marquee DVD (2006)

Solo

Other work

References

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Bibliography

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Interviews

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