“‘You have long hair, right?’ Right. ‘And you’re over 6′?’ I say, ‘I’m 5’7, but I’m going to get surgery'”: Marty Friedman recalls not being able to join Kiss because of his height
Marty Friedman recently revealed that he was turned down from an audition for KISS because he was “too short.” At 5’7″, the former Megadeth guitarist did not meet the band’s physical and height requirements.
In a recent interview with Sam Ash (via NME), Friedman was asked which KISS song he would have liked to play guitar on. He replied, “I would have wanted to be on every KISS song. I’ll tell you a quick story about that. When they changed guitarists a long time ago, I got a call from the KISS guys.
Marty Friedman | Artist Interview – YouTube
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“They say, ‘Would you be interested in auditioning for KISS?’ I say, ‘Tell me when and where.’ They came back and said, ‘We have a few questions for you. You don’t have a beard, do you?’ No.
“‘You have long hair, right?’ Right. ‘You’re skinny, right?’ Right. ‘And you’re over six feet tall?’ and I was like, ‘What? I’m five feet tall, but I’m going to have surgery, I’m going to do something.’ And they said, ‘I’m sorry, it’s not going to work.’ I was so disappointed.”
Almost all of the original KISS members, except Peter Criss, are over 6 feet tall. Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley usually wore platform boots during their live performances, which made them appear even taller.
It’s not the first time KISS has had to turn down a promising member because of their strict aesthetic standards. Yngwie Malmsteen missed out on a spot because he incorrectly stated his height in centimeters, the metric system used in Europe, instead of the feet and inches preferred in the United States.
“I Was Made for Lovin’ You Live 4K” KISS 2020 Goodbye Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai – YouTube
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Vito Bratta of White Lion, on the other hand, was rejected because the KISS team considered his name to be “too ethnic” and also suggested a name change.
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More news about Marty Friedman: Last year, the former lead guitarist of Megadeth revealed that he had also attended an ill-fated audition for Ozzy Osbourne.
