While I hate to leave last week's Denver adventure behind...in my business, I have to keep my eyes on the road and my sights on the next target. Therefore I am armed and ready to hit New York this weekend for the 20th Annual KISS Expo & Hard Rock Convention.

Since the day I met and began working with Gene Simmons, I have been fortunate enough to become part of the huge tapestry of KISS history - and for years now I have enjoyed participating in these events nationwide that have become a celebration of KISS and hard rock in general, and a gathering place for fans from all over the world.

Riding high on the momentum I built last week in Colorado, with my new CD in hand and a lot of hype from the New York media, and with the benefit of experience after a number of KISS Expo appearances, I feel really good about this one - promoter Starz/guitarist Richie Ranno always does it right and does it big time. My job basically amounts to an all-day meet-and-greet, signing autographs/taking pictures/getting to know the fans...this is punctuated by a solo acoustic performance, and invariably I end up on stage singing with the KISS Tribute band.

There are more special guests and bands this year than ever before. Here's who I'll be hanging with this weekend:

Former KISS Guitarist Bruce Kulick

KISS session guitarist Bob Kulick

Twisted Sister guitarist Eddie Ojeda

Halford guitarist Metal Mike Chlasciak

Musician/Songwriter Karl Cochran

BANDS: KISSteria (KISS Tribute), Almost Queen (QUEEN Tribute), Jaded (hot all-girl rock band), Z02, Wheels Of Fire (Cream Tribute), Caffiene (from England)

VH1/Radio Star Eddie Trunk

Adult Film Stars Gina Lynn & Taylor Wane

I will be accompanied by my manager/partner Aaron Fischer, my plane lands in New York at 4 pm tomorrow (Friday) and we'll get this party started. I will of course check in here to give my People a play-by-play throughout the weekend.

Road Report: Saturday Morning May 6

Sorry I didn't check in last night...Aaron & I had dinner with a very ggod friend, KISS merchandise dealer Mike Aimone, and afterwards we had the first viewing of the forthcoming "Ron Keel: 20/20" DVD collection in my room on the computer. This is a proposed collection of all 20 of my videos from throughout my career; I have hopes of filming a new video for "The Time Of My Life" to include on this compilation also. What a trip...some of this stuff I hadn't seen in a long time; the DVD includes TV commercials, promo spots, interviews, special clip from my history.

Once we had seen it all, we were bar-bound (surprise)...met the girls from Jaded, one of the bands tomorrow - very nice young hot girls...and I really enjoyed hanging with guitarist Bob Kulick, he and I have developed a good friendship through these events and we both enjoy closing down a bar while talking incessantly about ourselves...it's like a championship match of rock trivia when we get together. One question that stumped us both: who was the guitarist that replaced Brad Whitford briefly in Aerosmith during the early 80's, I believe the album was 'Rock In A Hard Place'....

I can't sit here and babble, I gotta get downstairs and take care of business. The doors open in less than an hour, and I don't want to miss anything. I'll check in later - have a great weekend - RK

That would be Rick Dufay. Brad returned to the band 2 or 3 years later.

Yes Bro you are right......Rock in a Hard Place was the album. !981 or '82 I believe. Done with Mirrors was the next album and I think that was in '84??

[Edited on 5-6-2006 by skynyrdmh]

Hey hers a lil help with yer geetar players:

Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay were the replacements, I believe there was a song on that record called "lightning strikes"

enjoy

CB

Wasnt Jimmy Crespo only used for the tour and not an actual replacement??

Rick Dufay did replace Brad Whitford on Aerosmith's 1979 album "Night In The Ruts". Both Dufay and Jimmy Crespo played on the 1982 album "Rock In A Hard Place" replacing Joe Perry. Perry and Whitford returned for "Done With Mirrors" in 1985.

I finally decided to take the time to post a reply. Metalman and I once again stepped out of our usual element to support one of our all time favorite singers, Ron Keel. We attended the NY KISS EXPO on 5/6/06. Like always he made us feel welcome and gave us a show not soon to be forgotten. Country/ Rock or Southern Rock the acoustic show was awesome and really allowed Ron to showcase his "Golden Vocal Chords" !! Can't wait till the next show and have been listening to his new CD daily since Metalman got his copy. I of course have my own personalized copy now! My signed jeans will also be added to my collection!
Hope it will be even smaller next pair!!

Another wild weekend bites the dust...

Due to extensive recreational activities I was unable to post after the event yesterday...I'm just got home and I want to say how much I appreciate all the good people that made this another incredible experience.

A ton of fun, but actually a lot of work too - those who know me understand that I try to go the distance for everyone that comes up wanting an autograph, handshake, photo, or whatever, and Aaron 'doc' Fischer and I were in high gear yesterday for at least 16 hours. The Expo was run very well, and attendance was good, the stage & sound & production (for me at least) was all topnotch. I enjoyed my solo acoustic performance, felt good to me - maybe I'm getting the hang of this...

It was awesome to see some very close friends, especially Randy & Chrissy Gill, and Dennis (Metalman) Marquette & his lovely wife Mary (Pita). As always it was good to see the Kulick brothers Bruce & Bob, Twisted Sister's Eddie Ojeda, Karl Cochran, my Rock 4Xmas brethren (Wayne Morrison & posse). I enjoyed finally meeting two guys I've spoken with a lot the past few years via email & phone, guitarist Metal Mike Chlasciak from Halford & Danger Danger vocalist Ted Poley [note: our friend & former IronHorse guitarist Robert Marcello now plays in Danger Danger with Ted, so we enjoyed exchanging Rob stories, Ted had some great ones].

Saw our old friend Ralph Sutton from The Tour Bus radio show, he's looking good since his appearance on 'Queer Eye For The Straight Guy'!

Special thanks to Starz guitarist/Expo promoter Richie Ranno; I think it's so cool that I was loving this guy's albums when I was in high school and now I get to work with him. He did it right and I am proud to have been there.

The response to the new 'Alone At Last' CD was overwhelming - we significantly passed our sales record for any previous performance or appearance (except of course for 'back in the day'). I really appreciate all those who took my music home with them, and I hope they enjoy it.

Most of all thanks to Aaron Fischer for making it happen.

And thanks to you guys for the Aerosmith trivia answers that had us stumped.

Hopefully we'll get some pictures of the event up here soon.

I'm going to sleep for a couple days, talk to you later...

ok I had to go check the Aerosmith web site cause the dates kept haunting me.....

Crespo did replace Perry in '79 BUT Dufay did NOT replace Whitford untill '81. So *Night in the Ruts* (1979) was Crespo and Whitford. And *Rock in a Hard Place* (1983) was Crespo and Dufay.

Perry and Whitford rejoined the band in '85 and released *Done with Mirrors*.

Just one of those damn things that bug ya untill you know for sure.......kinda like the name of the *Wheres the Beef* lady.


By the way.....her name was Clara Peller.....dont ask me why I know these stupid things.....I just do ok!!??