Where in the World is Vinnie Vincent?

We’ve sung the praises of former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent many times on MetalSucks; we’re huge fans, despite the fact that the dude is apparently a total lunatic.

So we were delighted by Max Blau’s new Rolling Stone piece, “The Long Kiss Goodbye: The Search for Vinnie Vincent,” which was inspired by KISS’ upcoming induction into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame (an event which Vincent will almost surely not attend… although, holy shit, how AWESOME would it be if he did?). In Internet terms, it’s a long read, and a lot of it is information that many Vincent fans will already know — his history with KISS, how he accidentally created Slaughter, how he is apparently nuttier than a Snickers bar, etc. — but it’s still a really fun read, as it progresses to the present, it reveals some details that even I, the most ardent of Vincent admirers, did not know. Like the fact that the dude is basically a missing person right now:

“In January 2014, [Vincent’s wife] Diane Cusano passed away due to conditions stemming from chronic alcoholism. She was 47-years-old. Not long after, several neighbors report seeing movers pack up boxes on Vincent’s property.

“Standing in his driveway, Drew Waldron, a longtime neighbor, pointed to Cusano’s house, once surrounded by floodlights. ‘Those aren’t on anymore,’ he says. Vincent is gone.

“Vinnie Vincent’s fans and former bandmates have different theories about his current whereabouts: He might be in Nashville, with family in Connecticut, or with some sympathetic female Kiss fan.”

So, basically, Vincent is what Axl Rose might have turned into if Axl Rose hadn’t managed to retain ownership of the Guns N’ Roses brand, thereby allowing him to continue to generate revenue on a regular basis. Sigh.

Read the entire article here. For those of you who aren’t already familiar with Vincent’s unique brand of genius, here’s a bunch of the stuff he did with KISS (including songs like “I Love it Loud” and “Unholy,” which he wrote but didn’t record), and as much of his solo stuff as is available on Spotify. I envy you, getting to experience Vincent for the first time!!!