Q. What iconic rock band launched a tour from Memorial Auditorium in 1975?
A. Heading into its show at Memorial Auditorium on Sept. 10, 1975, Kiss was a 2-year-old band that was making a name for itself with its live shows while struggling to sell its studio albums.
But the 1975 Chattanooga show started a stretch that would become a defining period for a band that produced more gold albums than any American group in history and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. The show at the Memorial Auditorium happened the same day the band’s double-live album “Alive!” was released. “Alive!” became Kiss’ first gold record and helped light “the fuse on a rocket that would send them to worldwide fame,” according to the website Classic Rock & Culture.
Of course, the music was only part of the story for Kiss. Band members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were known for their on-stage antics, platform boots, black leather and makeup.