Bruce Kulick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce Kulick
|
|
|---|---|
Kulick in 2016
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bruce Howard Kulick |
| Born | December 12, 1953 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist |
| Years active | 1968–present |
Bruce Howard Kulick (born December 12, 1953) is an American guitarist. He is most famous for being the lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss from 1984 to 1996.
Bruce was also a member of other bands like Union (1997–2002), Blackjack (1979–1980), and Grand Funk Railroad (2000–2023). Besides playing in bands, he has released his own solo albums and worked with many different artists. His older brother, Bob Kulick, was also a well-known guitarist.
Contents
Bruce's Early Life
Bruce Kulick was born in Brooklyn, New New York City. He also lived in Queens for some time. He went to Newtown High School. Bruce is Jewish and attended Hebrew school when he was younger.
His brother, Bob Kulick, was a big influence on Bruce's music career. Bob was also a guitarist and worked with bands like W.A.S.P., Meat Loaf, and even Kiss.
Bruce's Music Career
Bruce Kulick started his professional music journey in the 1970s. He has been part of many bands and projects throughout his career.
What Were Bruce's First Bands?
Bruce's first band was called KKB, formed in 1974. The name KKB came from the first letters of the last names of the band members: Kulick, Mike Katz, and Guy Bois. Bruce said their sound was similar to the band Cream. He later found old recordings from KKB and released them for fans.
He also toured professionally with singers like George McCrae and Andrea True.
Playing with Meat Loaf
In 1977, Bruce joined the touring band for Meat Loaf, a famous singer. He played rhythm and lead guitar alongside his brother Bob. They toured the world for a year after Meat Loaf's album Bat Out of Hell became very popular. They even appeared on famous TV shows like Saturday Night Live.
Bruce's Time in Blackjack
From 1979 to 1980, Bruce was a member of the band Blackjack. The band also included singer Michael Bolton. Bruce played on Blackjack's albums and later on some of Michael Bolton's solo albums. Michael Bolton even helped write a Kiss song called "Forever" later on.
A song from Blackjack called "Stay," which Bruce helped write, was used by rapper Jay-Z. Jay-Z sampled it for his song "A Dream" in 2002. That song became a number one hit on the Billboard charts!
Joining The Good Rats
In 1981, Bruce joined a band from Long Island called the Good Rats. He played on their album, Great American Music.
Touring with Michael Bolton
In 1983, Michael Bolton asked Bruce to be his guitarist for his first solo album tour. This was after Michael Bolton changed his family name.
Bruce's Years with Kiss (1984–1996)
.png)
Bruce Kulick became the lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss in September 1984. He took over from Mark St. John, who had a health issue. Bruce continued to play with the band while Mark recovered. Eventually, Bruce officially replaced Mark St. John in December 1984.
When Bruce joined Kiss, the band had stopped wearing their famous makeup. So, Bruce never wore makeup on stage with Kiss. He and Mark St. John are the only two members of Kiss who never wore the band's iconic makeup. Bruce stayed with Kiss for 12 years, until 1996.
Bruce played on many Kiss albums, including Asylum (1985), Crazy Nights (1987), Hot in the Shade (1989), Revenge (1992), and Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997). He also appeared on live albums like Alive III and MTV Unplugged. Bruce even sang lead vocals on one Kiss song, "I Walk Alone." He is featured on more than twenty Kiss recordings.
In 1995, the original members of Kiss reunited for an MTV Unplugged special. This led to them putting their makeup and costumes back on for a big tour in 1996. Because of this, Bruce officially left Kiss in December 1996. However, he continued to work with Kiss even after leaving, helping with the Psycho Circus album. Bruce even briefly rejoined Kiss on the Kiss Kruise in 2021, playing two songs.
Forming Union
After leaving Kiss, Bruce formed a new band called Union in 1996. He started the band with John Corabi, Brent Fitz, and Jamie Hunting. Bruce and John Corabi wrote the songs for their first album, also called Union, which came out in 1998. They toured to promote the album, first as an acoustic duo, then with the full band. Union released two more albums: Live in the Galaxy (1999) and The Blue Room (2000).
Playing with Grand Funk Railroad
Bruce Kulick was the lead guitarist for the band Grand Funk Railroad from 2000 to 2023. He had met the band's drummer, Don Brewer, back in 1983. Bruce left Grand Funk Railroad after their concert on December 14, 2023.
Bruce's Solo Albums
Bruce Kulick has released several albums on his own. His solo albums include Audiodog (2001), Transformer (2003), and BK3 (2010).
Other Music Projects
Bruce has also worked on many other music projects. He earned a writing credit on the song "Never Let Me Down" from Kanye West's 2004 album, The College Dropout.
He has appeared on all albums by Eric Singer's solo project, ESP (Eric Singer Project). He also played lead guitar on the song "It Snows in Hell" for the band Lordi in 2006. Bruce even played bass on Paul Stanley's 2006 album Live to Win.
Bruce's Personal Life
Bruce Kulick is married to Lisa Lane Kulick. They met in 2008 and got married in 2014. They sometimes perform together at events and online. In his free time, Bruce has been writing a book about his life as a musician.
Discography
Here are some of the albums Bruce Kulick has played on:
with Mike Katz, Guy Bois
- KKB 1974 (2008)
- Got to Get Back (2015)
with Blackjack
- Blackjack (1979)
- Worlds Apart (1980)
with The Good Rats
- Great American Music (1981)
with Michael Bolton
- Michael Bolton (1983)
- Everybody's Crazy (1985)
with Kiss
- Animalize (1984) (on some songs)
- Asylum (1985)
- Crazy Nights (1987)
- Hot in the Shade (1989)
- Revenge (1992)
- Alive III (1993)
- MTV Unplugged (1996)
- Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997)
- Psycho Circus (1998) (on some songs)
Kiss Video albums
- Animalize Live Uncensored (1985)
- Exposed (1987)
- Crazy Nights (1988)
- X-treme Close-Up (1992)
- Kiss Konfidential (1993)
- Kiss Unplugged (1996)
with Union
- Union (1998)
- Live in the Galaxy (1999)
- The Blue Room (2000)
with ESP
- Lost & Spaced (1998)
- ESP (1999)
Solo Albums
- Audiodog (2001)
- Transformer (2004)
- BK3 (2010)
Other Notable Work
- Ronnie Spector – Unfinished Business (1987)
- Don Johnson – Let It Roll (1989)
- Tribute to Queen – Dragon Attack (1997)
- Eric Carr – Rockology (2000)
- Lordi – The Arockalypse (2006)
- Paul Stanley – Live to Win (2006)
- Avantasia – The Wicked Symphony (2010)
- Lita Ford – "Time Capsule" (2016)
- Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 2 (2020)
Images for kids
-
Kulick performing with Grand Funk Railroad in 2002
See also
In Spanish: Bruce Kulick para niños
