Kiss received Kennedy Center honors on Saturday, accepting medals from President Trump himself in the Oval Office.
You can watch a clip of the band being given the honors below. In addition to Kiss, this year’s other honorees were George Strait, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone.
“These are incredible people — among the greatest artists and actors, performers, musicians, singers and songwriters ever to walk the face of the Earth,” President Trump said, adding that “billions and billions of people have watched them over the years.”
Kiss Honored With Performances by Garth Brooks and Cheap Trick
Sunday evening came the event’s official ceremony held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where the band’s three living members, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss, appeared on the red carpet. Guitarist Ace Frehley passed away in October at 74 years old.
“We can mourn him, and celebrate what we accomplished,” Stanley said of his late bandmate on Sunday (via NPR).
Simmons noted in a red carpet interview that he’s known President Trump for over two decades. Both men were raised in the Queens borough of New York City.
“Whether you’re a fan of the president or not, he’s never boring,” Simmons said (via The New York Times). “The worst thing is to have some bloated person get up there and make long speeches. No matter what he does, this president’s going to be entertaining.”
Read More: Rockers React to Ace Frehley’s Death
At the ceremony, country singer Garth Brooks paid tribute to Kiss first with his words, describing their makeup as the thing that “made them the most recognizable band,” and then performed “Shout It Out Loud” from their 1976 album Destroyer.
“I see some faces of confusion,” Brooks said from the stage, making sure to confirm to the audience that he was there for the correct honoree. “You take the stage in front of people you don’t know. You bare your soul not knowing what you’re going to get back. That takes courage, people. Now try that in six-inch platform shoes.”
Watch Kiss Receive Their Kennedy Center Honors
The last band of the evening to take the stage was Cheap Trick, who closed things out with a rendition of “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
This year’s Kennedy Center Honors ceremony was particularly notable for being the first time a sitting president, who typically just attend the event, hosted it themselves.
The 48th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast Tuesday, Dec. 23 (8:00-10:30 PM, ET/PT) on CBS.
Kiss at the Kennedy Center Honors
Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss received the honors Saturday, Dec. 6 at the White House, and then were honored at a tribute show Sunday night.
Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
