A fan club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person or organization the club is centered on. This is the case for many musicians , sports teams, etc.
12-555: The KISS Army is the official fan club for the American rock band Kiss , as well as the unofficial name used to refer to Kiss fans in general. It was started unofficially in 1975 by Bill Starkey and Jay Evans. The membership form displayed for the first time what became known as the official Kiss Army logo, which was designed by Dennis Woloch and Vincent DiGerlando of Howard Marks Inc., the advertising agency working with Bill Aucoin and Kiss at that time. According to Bruce Vilanch ,
24-572: A Kiss concert at the new Hulman Civic-University Center in Terre Haute. Before the show, Kiss publicist Alan Miller contacted Starkey to discuss the Kiss Army. At Miller's request, Starkey and Evans took phone calls on the air at WVTS to recruit as many members as possible for the Kiss Army. As a result of these efforts, the November 21 show sold out (10,000 seats). During the concert, Starkey
36-486: A fan club. The origin of the term fan in reference to a dedicated zealot is unclear. The word may have emerged in the 1800s, when boxing supporters were said to take a “fancy” to pugilistic sports. Among modern sports fans, however, the title is considered a shortened version of the word fanatic, as in “boxing fanatic,” an indication of the dedication of fan club members. Larger fan clubs may organize events and fundraising relating to what they are based on. In some cases,
48-552: The Kiss Army's 35th anniversary, November 21, 2010 was declared "Kiss Army Day" in Terre Haute. Starkey served as a guest DJ for local rock radio station WWVR . Fan club People in a fan club usually have either a T-shirt or a pin to indicate which fan club they are a part of. All fan clubs have unique paraphernalia that are given or sold to fans to use as an indication. Barbz, who support Nicki Minaj , Hollanders, who support Tom Holland , Carats, who support Seventeen , and Swifties who support Taylor Swift are examples of
60-452: The band or celebrity they follow, however fans are not affiliated as they are more reserved than groupies would be. Most fan clubs are online and fans who are a part of these clubs, do not usually get to have personal connections with whom they are fans of. Today, many fan clubs have websites to support their efforts. Technology allows individuals in fan clubs to communicate across the world. These sites usually have photos and information on
72-610: The fan club and the seemingly mindless devotion of Kiss fans. The song's music is strongly reminiscent of ' I Was Made for Loving You '. It reached the Top 20 in Australia. After a period of inactivity, Kiss announced the relaunch of the Kiss Army as the group's official fan club on August 23, 2007. On May 29, 2008, Condoleezza Rice , the United States Secretary of State , enlisted in the Kiss Army. In celebration of
84-548: The foundation. If the fan clubs are for certain fashion brands, they may use those fees for advertisement. The term groupie is a slang that is commonly used in reference to fans of a particular musician, band, or celebrity who follow the group- or individual- while they are touring, or who attend as many of their public appearances as possible. The word is often used to describe female fans seeking sexual relationships with musicians. They often value musicians themselves over their music. Groupies are more personally affiliated with
96-427: The money that is raised goes directly to fan club members or to fund the club itself. There are two main kinds of fan clubs, there are fan clubs that do not require an official registration process and others that do. Fan clubs that do require a formal registration usually require a membership fee. Different fan clubs have different systems, however most clubs have an annual membership fee. These fees will be used to run
108-517: The president of the Kiss fan club was Ringo Starr 's son when Kiss starred in " The Paul Lynde Halloween Special ", in 1976. In January 1975, Starkey and Evans, two teenage Kiss fans from Terre Haute, Indiana , began contacting local radio station WVTS in an effort to get Kiss music played. After being repeatedly turned down by program director Rich Dickerson , Starkey and Evans began calling WVTS claiming to be "the Kiss Army." They also sent letters to
120-405: The station and signed them, "Bill Starkey–President of the Kiss Army," and "Jay Evans–Field Marshall." By July 1975, WVTS had begun to play Kiss records, often referring to the Kiss Army. Some of the letters included threats to blow up the station. Before long, listeners started calling the station asking how they could enlist. Dickerson worked with Starkey and Evans to provide advance promotion for
132-481: Was brought on stage and given a plaque by Kiss. Soon after the Terre Haute concert, the Kiss Army became the official fan club of the group. In 1976, Kiss manager Bill Aucoin requested Howard Marks Inc. to create an official Kiss Army logo. The logo was designed by Vincent DiGerlando, a designer who created the concept from his time in the National Guard. He was longtime friends with Dennis Woloch who claims he
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#1732780028012144-400: Was the original designer. Order forms for the Kiss Army first appeared with this new official logo in 1976's Destroyer . Former head of Kiss merchandising Ron Boutwell estimated that the fan club (at its peak) earned US$ 5,000 per day, and had nearly 100,000 members. In 1980, Australian comedian Garry McDonald , in his Norman Gunston guise, released a single, 'Kiss Army', parodying both
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