Vinnie Vincent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vinnie Vincent
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Vincent in 1988
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Vincent John Cusano |
| Also known as | "The Ankh Warrior" |
| Born | August 6, 1952 Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments | Guitar |
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Vinnie Vincent, whose real name is Vincent John Cusano, is an American guitarist born on August 6, 1952. He is famous for being a member of the rock band Kiss from 1982 to 1984. During this time, Kiss was changing from wearing their famous makeup to performing without it. Vinnie Vincent was the last member to wear a special makeup and costume, known as The Ankh Warrior. He later started his own band, Vinnie Vincent Invasion, which had some popular songs in the hair metal style.
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Vinnie Vincent's Early Life
Vincent John Cusano was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His parents, Theresa and Alfonso Cusano, were both musicians. They were of Italian background. Vinnie started playing the guitar when he was very young. He was inspired by bluegrass and rock and roll music.
One of his first big chances to work with famous artists was with Felix Cavaliere. Felix was well-known from the band The Rascals. Vinnie joined Felix's band called "Treasure." They released an album in 1977.
In 1980, Vinnie moved to Los Angeles, California. There, he became a songwriter for TV shows like Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi. He often wrote songs on his acoustic guitar while on the Happy Days set. Vinnie has said that working at Paramount Studios during that time was truly "happy days."
Vinnie Vincent's Music Career
Joining the Band Kiss
Vinnie Vincent joined the band Kiss as the new lead guitarist. He replaced Ace Frehley. Vinnie got along well with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who were also in Kiss.
He played lead guitar on six songs for the Creatures of the Night album. He also helped write three of those songs. After a big tour for Creatures of the Night, Vinnie went back to the studio with Kiss. They recorded the Lick It Up album.
Vinnie helped write eight of the ten songs on Lick It Up. This was a record for any Kiss member at the time. Even though he was a new official guitarist, another musician, Rick Derringer, played a guitar solo on one song.
Vinnie performed very well in live shows with Kiss. However, he did not sign a full employment contract with the band. There were disagreements about his role and how much he would be paid. Because of this, Vinnie never officially became a full member of Kiss. He left the band after the North American part of the "Lick It Up" tour. Mark St. John replaced him.
Even though they parted ways, Vinnie later worked with Kiss again. He helped write songs for their 1992 album Revenge. These songs included "Unholy" and "Heart Of Chrome." However, Vinnie again had disagreements with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
In 2022, Kiss released a special version of the Creatures of the Night album. It included old recordings and live songs with Vinnie Vincent playing guitar. These were the first official live recordings with Vinnie Vincent.
Starting Vinnie Vincent Invasion
After leaving Kiss in 1984, Vinnie Vincent used his earnings to travel the world. He visited places like Tahiti, Philippines, and Europe.
That same year, he started his own band called Vinnie Vincent Invasion. The band included former Journey singer Robert Fleischman. They released two studio albums: Vinnie Vincent Invasion in 1986 and All Systems Go in 1988. The band broke up in 1989. After the band split, the singer Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum formed their own band, Slaughter.
Later Music Projects
In 1996, Vinnie Vincent released a solo album called Euphoria. Robert Fleischman sang on this album too. Vinnie played all the guitars and also programmed the drums.
A special album called Kiss My Ankh: A Tribute To Vinnie Vincent was released in 2008. This album featured new versions of songs from Vinnie's time with Kiss and Vinnie Vincent Invasion. Many different artists contributed to this tribute album.
Recent Appearances (2018–2023)
After being out of the public eye for 22 years, Vinnie Vincent returned in 2018. He appeared at the Atlanta Kiss Expo in January. He played four songs, including a Kiss song "A Million to One" and a Vinnie Vincent Invasion song "Back on the Streets." Robert Fleischman joined him for that song.
Vinnie said he considers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley like family. He also met Gene Simmons in person for the first time in over 20 years. Vinnie gave his first interview in over two decades to Eddie Trunk for Sirius XM. He also held question-and-answer sessions with his fans.
In 2018 and 2019, Vinnie planned several concerts and events. Some of these shows were postponed or canceled. However, he did host "Vinnie Vincent's Birthday Bash" and "Vinnie Vincent's Merry Metal Christmas" in Nashville in 2019.
In May 2022, Vinnie played live with other Kiss guitarists, Ace Frehley and Bruce Kulick. They performed four Kiss songs together at Creatures Fest in Nashville. In May 2023, Vinnie held an album listening party for his upcoming music.
Vinnie Vincent's Personal Life
Vinnie Vincent was married to AnnMarie Peters. They had twin daughters born in 1982.
In 1996, Vinnie married his second wife, Diane Kero.
Discography
With Kiss
- Creatures of the Night (1982)
- Lick It Up (1983)
- Revenge (1992) (songwriting only)
Compilation Albums (with Kiss)
- Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (1988)
- Alive III (1993) (songwriting only)
- Kiss Unplugged (1995) (songwriting only)
- The Box Set (2001)
- The Very Best of Kiss (2002)
- Kiss Symphony: Alive IV (2003) (songwriting only)
- The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection (2004)
- The Best of Kiss, Volume 3: The Millennium Collection (2006) (songwriting only)
- Kiss Alive! 1975–2000 (2006) (songwriting only)
- The Best of KISS: Green Series (2008)
- Playlist Plus (2008)
- Playlist Your Way (2008)
- Jigoku-Retsuden (2008) (songwriting only)
- 15 Classics (2008) (digital only)
- 15 Discoveries (2008) (digital only)
- 45 The Complete Collection (2008) (digital only)
- Alive! The Millennium Concert (2008) (songwriting & digital only)
With Vinnie Vincent Invasion
- Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986)
- All Systems Go (1988)
- Euphoria (EP) (1996)
- Judgement Day (2023)
Other Album Appearances
- Black Satin featuring Fred Parris (1976) (with Black Satin)
- The Hitchhikers (1976) (with The Hitchhikers)
- WOW (1984) (with Wendy O. Williams)
- Let Me Rock You (1982) (with Peter Criss)
- No Brakes (1984) (with John Waite)
- Instant Replay (1978) (with Dan Hartman)
- Nested (1978) (with Laura Nyro)
- Treasure (1977) (with Treasure)
- Castles in the Air (1979) (with Felix Cavaliere)
- Still Waiting (1981) (with HEAT)
- Everything (1988) (with The Bangles)
- Born to Laugh at Tornadoes (1983) (with Was (Not Was))
- Warrior (2017) (with Warrior)
- Warrior II (2019) (with Warrior)
Tribute Albums and Singles
- Kiss My Ankh: A Tribute to Vinnie Vincent (2008)
- Virtual Invasion – Gypsy in Her Eyes (2017)
- Virtual Invasion – Young Blood, Young Fire (2018)
- Virtual Invasion – Forbidden (2018)
- Virtual Invasion – Tears (2020)
Images for kids
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Vinnie Vincent in 1988
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The Ankh Warrior face design
See also
In Spanish: Vinnie Vincent para niños
