R.I.P. Eddie Balandas (1952-2011). Eddie was known as “the voice of KISS Alive II.” His thunderous intro can be heard at the start of the album, and was a rallying call to the thousands of fans who saw KISS live in the mid-to-late 1970’s. I was lucky enough to co-host and produce a podcast to which Eddie was a contributor, as recently as July of 2011. He was beloved and valued by the KISS Army, and Eddie was generous with his time and attention. He had great stories to tell and wasn’t shy about sharing them! He is immortalized as KISS’ announcer, and he kept them safe by working security at the peak of their 1970’s popularity. I’m grateful for the time he devoted to PodKISSt, and regret not having had the opportunity to meet him in person. We wanted the best and we got the best. You’ll be missed, Eddie.

Eddie can be heard in conversation here on PodKISSt: http://podkisst.com/?p=824