I was never a KISS fan to any degree but understand the importance he and the band had on pop culture.
RIP Ace.
I'm a little bit younger than you and Pit and when KISS got huge in the late 70s, I was at that age they drew me in, thought they were kinda cool. I was 10 or 11, what did I know? lol
I outgrew them for the most part and their gimmicks are goofy, but I can still listen to some of their songs, even now. I still have the Destroyer album somewhere in a box.