Ken Kelly, artist who created album covers for Kiss, dead at 76

Artist Ken Kelly, who created album covers for Kiss during the 1970s, died Thursday, Rolling Stone reported. He was 76,

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Kelly designed the covers for Kiss’ “Destroyer” album in 1976 and “Love Gun” the following year, according to the magazine.

No cause of death was announced.

Danny Stanton, the founder of Coallier Entertainment, wrote about Kelly’s death in a Facebook post on Friday.

“You will always be a legend in the KISS world,” Stanton wrote. “Such a great guy, artist, friend.”

Kelly began drawing at an early age, but it wasn’t until he finished a four-year stint in the United States Marine Corps in 1968 that he turned to art full time, according to Comic Book Resources.

Kelly’s first assignment for Warren Publishing was the creation of the cover for “Vampirella No. 6,” the website reported. He also drew covers for “Eerie and Creepy.”

His original version of the “Destroyer” cover -- which showed the band bursting out of a city destroyed by fire -- was rejected by Kiss’ record label, Rolling Stone reported.

“They thought it was too violent,” Kelly told the magazine. “It was 1975, and they didn’t want to launch such a large project with such a negative cover. I thought my career was over. That was one of the heaviest blows I’ve ever received.”

Kelly redid the cover and presented a modified version of the painting, with the band members jumping on top of a pile of rubble, which was accepted.

The 35th anniversary “Resurrected” reissue of “Destroyer” featured Kelly’s original artwork, Rolling Stone reported.

Members of Kiss expressed their condolences after hearing about the death of the veteran comic book artist.

“Sad to find out Ken Kelly, who painted our ‘Destroyer’ album cover, passed away,” Kiss singer and bass guitarist Gene Simmons tweeted. “A kind and beloved gentleman. Rest In Peace.”

“I am heartbroken to hear of the passing of my dear friend Ken Kelly,” former Kiss drummer Peter Criss wrote on his website. “He was an amazing man and talent. A gentle, kind, funny honorable man. A man of integrity and grace. I loved him so much.

“He brought out the superheroes in us. He will live on through his incredible work.”

Criss recommended Kelly to design the album covers, Comic Book Resources reported.

“I had always thought it was Gene Simmons, but Criss’ wife said it was he who was reading “Eerie and Creepy” while Gene and Paul Stanley were reading Marvel comics,” Kelly said in a 2018 interview with Print Magazine. “So I would say Peter Criss was fundamentally responsible for me ending up being the cover guy.”

“A moment to remember the great Ken Kelly,” Kiss rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley tweeted Saturday. “His fantasy art captured the larger-than-life image of KISS perfectly. Rest In Peace.”

Kelly created the cover of Kiss’ 1976 album, “Love Gun,” using his wife as the model for the face-painted woman who appeared with the band, Rolling Stone reported. Kelly later designed album covers for Rainbow, Ace Frehley, Coheed & Cambria and Manowar, according to the magazine.

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