Vinnie Vincent announced for Kiss Expo 2018 (Surprise!)

Why?

I made a joke about him looking like Ann Wilson in another thread, but I don’t buy his transitioning deal. Vinnie has always had a feminine look to him; as early as with KISS and certainly with Vinnie Vincent Invasion.

I think with weight gain and his desire to still look glam, it’s just his look now. Does he mention anything about it (transitioning) in the interview?

 

I had a feeling that he would not show up at all. After all these years of negative stories about him, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. He looks really down-to-earth and humble. This was certainly not what I had expected. I can even say that I start to like him. I am glad he put the troubled past behind him. Good for him. I wish him all the best for the future and I am glad he is back.

 

Agreed, I didn't expect such a humble demeanor either.

My favorite part was after he pointed out the two fans that had flown in from Australia, and then folks in the audience started shouting out where THEY had come from... Mexico, Norway, etc. The look on his face to all of this was priceless. He was clearly stunned and touched. And it made me feel good.

 

Why? A couple of things in particular:

- He’s wearing women’s clothes, but not in a glam or rock ‘n’ roll sort of way - that’s a pantsuit right out of the Hillary! collection. No one wanting to look “glam” would be dressing up like a dowdy middle aged woman.
- Look at his figure: he hasn’t got a gut like a guy often gets as he ages - it looks like most of his weight gain has gone to his butt and hips, as happens with women. This suggests estrogen treatments.

There’s also his feminine mannerisms, which at some points made me think of Mike Myers’ Linda Richman character on SNL. “Excuse me, I’m getting verklempt!”

 

Reasonable conjecture but it doesn’t prove anything, but I like you’re deductive reasoning. He didn’t ask to be addressed as Valerie though did he?

 

It might be one of those things where people didn’t ask out of respect to his personal life and since no one asked he felt he probably didn’t need to address it. I agree that he always looked feminine and androgynous but it really does look like he did some sort of transition. Again, if he did and he’s happy, then so be it. Good for him/her.

 

In the interview, he speaks for quite a while and pretty emotionally about the issues with his wife. It was almost uncomfortable, but there was also a sense that it was therapeutic for him.

 

Yeah I felt for him when was talking about that. The emotion really felt genuine and sincere.

 

Just for the record, since you quoted me in the context of the sex change topic - that's not what I was referring to when I mentioned wondering if what we've heard about him is true. Honestly, I had never heard of that rumor, as I don't keep up on all things Kiss. What I was referring to was the common perception of his general demeanor: unreasonable, hard to work with, crazy, etc. As long as I'm posting on the subject again now, I'll say that all the past reports probably couldn't ALL have been completely wrong. But I still wonder how much has been exaggerated or embellished, or are even in some cases downright lies. That's what I came away thinking after watching these appearances.

 

It was nice to see VV after all these years come out out of the spotlight. It took a lot of guts for VV to come out into the public eye given all the negativity he had with fans and within KISS and music industry. I'm just glad too see that VV seems to be in peace with himself and wish him all the best with his comback.

As for his personal life and current look that is in question. I guess it will be subject to everyone's speculation with the issue or until Vinnie is ready to discuss further in the future.

 

Just so good to see him back. I dont care how he looks.
That first VVI album has always been a fav with me...so OTT. Bonkers! And i loved it!!

 

Absolutely bonkers. Great album.

 

Vinnie has hand-written a 7-page thank you later. Pretty cool. It's great to see him so happy again.

Atlanta KISS Expo 2018

 

Not that I care or it matters, but he was dressed in a woman's suit and was wearing women's high heel shoes. So it appears there has been a transition of sorts.

I don't believe he saved Kiss, perhaps he eased the blow of Ace Frehley's departure somewhat, but his role wasn't as significant as some might think. I'm an Ace Frehley man and felt it was never the same after he departed, having said that, Vincent is easily the best of his replacements. I would have preferred that he stayed in the band, at least until Frehley's return.

His contribution to Creatures, although significant was overrated. He didn't pen anything on Side 1, the better side & songs of the album by far and quite frankly I Love It Loud is crap.

It would have been a far better album with Frehley's full participation and perhaps a better Producer. He made a greater contribution to Lick It Up, which was an inferior echo of Creatures. In summary his contributions as a songwriter in Kiss fell well short of Ace Frehley's.

 

If this were still the 80s, VV would be accused of not looking feminine enough to be a rock star and being lazy with his make up.

 

Clue #3 at the 3:00 mark in this video


#4 When VV is walking around seemed to avoid hugs from fans, minus 1-2 females. Was keeping arms length from fans. #5 may explain his 22 year absence and why not a single fan worldwide could find him without going through his lawyer.

Eddie Trunk Reacts on the Transformed Looks of Vinnie Vincent (with New Photos)
From 2:30 on wards for couple minutes is Eddie Trunk dancing around the "transition" issue in a post interview discussion. Clue #6.

VV will continue being "Vincent" for any future Kiss related appearance. Will I do see evidence of hormone therapy, but I really wonder how VV could have afforded the $100,000 for the complete surgery without access to Cher/Kardashian type money.

 

While it was great to see him resurface, he didn't say much in the interviews of note other than recently trading emails with Gene. Apparently some of his anecdotes vary from 2018 telling and when he told them 25-30 years ago.

 

That's rude - he should thank them NOW!

 

I was lookin' at footage of the Expo the other night and also clicked into the interview with Eddie Trunk and upon first seeing his stature, I couldn't believe the weight gain and the awkward look in general. Now that I've seen the discussions here as to whether or not he is in "transition", well, all I can say is that, if he's in a better place as a result of it, more power to him. Considering the trials and tribulations he went through with his wife, the death, his failing career and general obscurity over the last several years, in a way, its kind of sad to witness his physical demeanor and mental state, but at the same time, he seems sane and content. Personally, I can't get over the weight gain and general look, but it's not up to me to judge. Hopefully he'll release some new music, soon. That'd be great to hear.

 

Ok, you and @Dudley Morris have me (semi) convinced.

 

Although he lost lawsuits against Kiss, I understand they finally reached a settlement. I don't think money is an issue for him right now regardless of his orientation.

 

I’d bet money is an issue with him and always will be. It might be that he did the Expo because he needed the money. That said, we don’t know his finances, so we’re merely speculating. Seems on several issues concerning him (her?)

 

Just my two cents on the money factor, it seems that because Vinnie refused to sign contracts in regards to his standing in Kiss of the time('82-'84) and his general attitude towards his livelihood within the group, ultimately affected the way things went during said time and without repeating the reasons as most are aware of regarding his stature in the band, it appears that it was he himself, that lay the blame of feeling shorted by Paul and Gene. Even when he collaborated with them again, less than a decade later on Revenge, after the fact, he went right back into the regression of being the victim of the Kiss organization because he claimed that he didn't get the cut he was due during those writing sessions.

If he wound up being shafted by them not once or twice, most likely it has to do with his short temper and knee jerk reactions within the moments of the collaborative relationship, which, given the history and details(from both sides, mind you), seems to have an unhealthy pattern of symmetry. If he feels slighted, it's of his own doing, in my opinion, but I'm sure there's inside info. that I'm totally ignorant to, so, for what it's worth...

 

Definitely, I can't imagine with all the lawsuits and without playing or writing professionally for twenty years that he'd be in great financial shape.

 

On the topic of his pay, I think it was said on a MTV report somewhere that he made $1050 a week with KISS or something like that, although his take home salary may have still been 550.
I can see where Vinnie is coming from, why he felt the way he did about his pay, because he was more than pulling his weight in the band, and also, he was married and had two kids, so he had people depending on him.
On the other hand, KISS were not on great shape financially during Vinnie's tenure, so I don't know if Gene and Paul were actually trying to f--- him over, cause it isn't like they could pay him a huge amount in 82/83.