Vinnie Vincent: 'I Love And Respect Gene Simmons Like A Brother'

/>Ex-KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent says that he wishes his former bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley "nothing but the best."

Vincent replaced lead guitarist Ace Frehley in 1982 and played with KISS for two years. He left the group on bad terms, and later claimed Simmons and Stanley owed him royalties for his work on the group's 1983 album "Lick It Up".

It was recently announced that Vincent will appear as a special guest at the Atlanta Kiss Expo in January. The 65-year-old musician will be signing autographs and taking photos during the special VIP Meet & Greet on Friday, January 19, 2018, as well as all day long at the Atlanta Kiss Expo on Saturday, January 20, 2018.

In a brand new statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Vincent said: "I love and respect Gene Simmons like a brother, and have nothing but the fondest of memories working with him and Paul Stanley. Ours was a very special chemistry. We made one hell of a great band, and the magic we made together is timeless.

"I am proud of our work and the songs we wrote that appeared on the 'Creatures Of The Night', 'Lick It Up' and 'Revenge' albums that became KISS classics, and are staples of their live shows to this day. We brought happiness to the fans with performances and songs that will live on.

"I am appearing in person at the Atlanta Kiss Expo to celebrate KISS, embrace our music and our time, and share good will with the fans. And for all of the above, I wish both Gene and Paul nothing but the best."

Simmons recently told The Aquarian Weekly that he would never work with Vincent again. "He's a very talented guy," Gene said. "Everybody's got their troubles in life. You can't fix everything. I'm a big supporter of his talent. You know, go with god. Enjoy life, be happy. But I don't need more dark clouds over my life. It's nice and calm. Eric [Singer, KISS drummer] and Tommy [Thayer, guitar] have been with us for a very long time, and it's professional to the highest degree. Everybody is happy to be together. Everybody shows up on time. There's no, 'The dog ate my homework.' None of that crap.

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