Kiss receives Kennedy Center Honors from Donald Trump

After the announcement last August, and almost two months after the sad news of the passing of guitarist and founding member Ace Frehley, on Saturday 6 December Kiss received Kennedy Center Honors. Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss, the three historical members still alive of the band, accepted the medals directly from President Trump at the ceremony, which took place in the Oval Office of the White House.

“They are incredible people – among the greatest artists, actors, performers, musicians, singers and authors who have ever walked the face of the Earth”, President Trump saidadding that “billions and billions of people have watched them over the years.”

Subsequently the presentation of the medalsit then took place on Sunday the official ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, where Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss appeared on the red carpet. Regarding the late Ace Frehley, as reported by NPR, Stanley said: “We mourn it and celebrate what we have accomplished“.

For his part, in a red carpet interview, Simmons said he has known President Trump for over two decades – having both grown up in the borough of Queens, New York – and explained: “Whether you’re a fan of the president or not, it’s never boring. The worst thing is seeing a puffed-up person stand up there and give endless speeches. No matter what he does, this president will always be entertaining.”