"You wanted the best and you got it! The hottest band in the land...KISS!" -- JR Smalling
Sad news hit the KISS Army over the weekend with word that the band's original road manager, JR Smalling, had died at the age of 68. He was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer in 2018. Smalling is best known to KISS fans around the world as the man who delivers the legendary introduction on KISS' breakout 1975 live album, Alive!
"We were notified that JR Smalling has passed away after a long battle with cancer," KISS shared on the group's social media accounts. "JR was the voice you hear on KISS Alive! and introduced us with the battle cry that still brings us on stage. He was fiercely loyal, proud and did whatever necessary to make sure we could do our full show no matter who stood in the way. His spirit is with us to this day and we celebrate his memory and mourn this loss."
"I am in total shock & my heart is broken once again," shared Lydia Criss, ex-wife of original KISS drummer, Peter Criss, on Facebook. "I am so sad to let you know that I lost another good friend. Today I learned of the passing of JR Smalling, he was one of the original KISS Road Managers. He passed away June 1st, but we were just notified."
In 2014, Smalling co-authored a book, Out on the Streets - The True Tales of Life on the Road with the Hottest Band in the Land, KISS!.
"If life on tour has taught me anything, it's that if you believe in yourself you can conquer just about anything," Smalling said when first diagnosed. "When KISS first started out on the road, absolutely no one believed in us, except the band and the crew. It was a grind at first, but we not only survived, we conquered...together! And that's what I plan to do with my family and friends, conquer cancer together.”
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