This is only a preview. The auction will open on: 10/28/2026 1:00:00 PM
Offered Here: KISS 1976 Lot of 2 BW 8 x 10 Prints of Gene Simmons Backstage At Cobo Hall Detroit In Wheelchair
Item Details: This incredibly rare lot features two original 8 x 10 black and white prints capturing, Gene Simmons, in a wheelchair backstage during the band's legendary three-night stand at Cobo Hall in Detroit between January 25–27, 1976. Offering a fascinating, highly candid behind-the-scenes glimpse into the group's mid-1970s breakthrough tour, these historic images are sourced directly from the private collection of celebrated rock photographer Waring Abbott. Both prints are individually signed and numbered by Abbott and feature his official photographer stamps on the reverse. Showing signs of archival handling, one print remains in very good condition with mild edge wear and a single punched hole in the top left corner, while the second exhibits visible water damage on the reverse with mild physical waving throughout.
Provenance / Authenticity: The items in this lot are sourced directly from the personal archives of renowned photojournalist Waring Abbott. Abbott’s iconic imagery has graced the pages of Time, Newsweek, People, Rolling Stone, and countless foreign publications, alongside legendary album covers and photo spreads for KISS, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, and Bob Dylan and others.
By early 1976 KISS had become one of the most popular live acts in the United States, propelled by the double album "Alive!" (1975), whose success turned the band's theatrical concerts into a commercial breakthrough after modest-selling studio records. Detroit was among the group's earliest and most loyal strongholds, and Cobo Hall had already served as a recording site for "Alive!" before the band paid tribute to the city with "Detroit Rock City" on the 1976 album "Destroyer." Gene Simmons, the co-founder and bassist known for his "Demon" persona with its fire-breathing and blood-spitting stage routines, was central to the makeup, costumes and spectacle that made KISS a lasting model for rock as a visual and theatrical experience.
Condition: Good with mild waving and water damage on one and edge wear and a punched hole in the other.
SKU: WBB1066