Earlier today (August 13), President Donald Trump announced the recipients of this year’s Kennedy Center Honors. The honorees include country legend George Strait, “I Will Survive” singer Gloria Gaynor, Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, and KISS. The ceremony will take place later this year.
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The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual event that celebrates those in the performing arts who have made a lasting impact on the culture of the United States. Previous honorees include Lucille Ball, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, among many others. While musical artists across multiple genres have received the honor in the past, KISS is only the sixth rock band to make the cut since 1978. The Who, U2, Grateful Dead, the Eagles, and Led Zeppelin came before them.
[RELATED: How KISS Turned a Tragedy Into One of the Most Iconic Rock Songs of All Time]
After hearing the news, members of the legendary band spoke to TMZ about their forthcoming honor.
KISS Reacts to Being Among Kennedy Center Honorees
TMZ spoke to Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Paul Stanley about the announcement.
“KISS is the embodiment of the American dream,” Simmons told the outlet. “We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor.”
“From our earliest days, KISS has embodied the American ideal that all things are possible and that hard work pays off,” Stanley said. “The prestige of the Kennedy Center Honors cannot be overstated, and I accept this on behalf of the long legacy of KISS and all of the band members who helped create our iconic band,” he added.
Frehley called the honor ”a dream come true that I never thought would materialize.”
“I feel so blessed. This is the greatest honor of our career,” Criss told the publication.
The honor comes a little over 11 years after the legendary band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2014.
Featured Image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
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