If you're a KISS fan (or just love rock history), you're going to love this! 🎸 In this video, Robert John Hadfield launches a new series where he tracks down and reads the original newspaper articles featured in the A&E Biography: Kisstory (currently streaming on Hulu).

We kick things off with the iconic headline: “Is the World Ready for KISS?” published in the News-Star of Monroe, Louisiana on August 19, 1977—just weeks after Love Gun dropped and shortly before Alive II was released.

But this is more than just about KISS. Robert dives into the cultural moment of 1977—what movies were in theaters, what was on the front page (Elvis had just died!), and what other legendary albums were dominating the airwaves. 📻

Stick around for fun tidbits about:
Love Gun, Alive II, and the KISS trading cards
Star Wars in its 9th week in theaters
The rise of Boston, Fleetwood Mac, and Foreigner
Elvis Presley’s funeral motorcade
A steak dinner at Bonanza for $3.59 🥩
And yes... Empire of the Ants 🐜💥
This video blends nostalgia, history, and rock fandom in the most entertaining way.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Why this video is different
00:14 – Launching a new series: Vintage headline deep dives
00:40 – Kisstory on Hulu & Robert’s idea
01:32 – Newspapers & KISS montages
02:04 – Finding the first article: “Is the World Ready for KISS?”
02:35 – Exploring the full article & historical context
03:02 – What else was in the news: theaters, prices, ads
05:12 – KISS and 1977’s pop culture landscape
06:37 – Movies in theaters that week
07:05 – Empire of the Ants and its wild plot
07:47 – Star Wars mania and theater lines
08:48 – Bootleggers Angel featuring Jaclyn Smith
09:11 – Bonanza steak dinners & Monroe nostalgia
09:32 – Front page news: Elvis has just died
10:33 – Elvis’s funeral motorcade
11:26 – Reading the original KISS article
12:20 – Far-out band member descriptions 🤘
14:05 – $30M in album sales: context of 1977’s biggest records
15:20 – Punk enters the scene: Sex Pistols & “God Save the Queen”
16:43 – Birth of Apple Computers & KISS’s peak
17:58 – Capitalism, merch, and Bill Aucoin’s genius
20:15 – Peter Criss as the Cowardly Lion?
20:54 – Bill Aucoin discovers KISS at the Diplomat Hotel
22:43 – Creating alter egos & character branding
24:10 – Comic books, Casablanca Records, and promotional mastery
25:02 – Wrapping up & what’s next in the series
26:03 – Request for viewer feedback and comments

📢 Call to Action:
What do YOU remember about 1977?
Did you ever read this article back in the day? Or do you have memories tied to Love Gun, Star Wars, or Elvis’s passing?

👇 Drop your thoughts and memories in the comments!
👍 Like the video if you want more of these newspaper deep-dives.
🔔 Subscribe so you don’t miss the next one in the series!

📌 Hashtags:
#KISSArmy #KISSBand #Kisstory #LoveGun #ClassicRock #ElvisPresley #StarWars1977 #VintageNewspapers #MusicHistory #RockDocumentary #CasablancaRecords #BillAucoin #PeterCriss #GeneSimmons #AceFrehley #PaulStanley #RobertJohnHadfield #VinylCommunity #RockNostalgia #1970sRock

📲 Mentions (if applicable):
@KISS
@AEBiography
@Hulu
@ElvisPresley
@StarWars
@ClassicRockArchive
@VinylCommunity