Bob Kulick, a veteran session guitarist known for his work with Lou Reed, Meat Loaf, and KISS, has died at the age of 70.
News of Bob’s death was revealed by his older brother, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick. “I am heartbroken to have to share the news of the passing of my brother Bob Kulick,” Bruce wrote in a post to Facebook. “His love of music, and his talent as a musician and producer should always be celebrated. I know he is at peace now, with my parents, playing his guitar as loud as possible. Please respect the Kulick Family’s privacy during this very sad time.”
Bob himself actually auditioned for KISS in 1972, but was beaten out for the job by Ace Frehley. Nevertheless, he was an active contributor to the band in an uncredited capacity, playing on albums including Alive II, Unmasked, Killers, and Creatures of the Night. In 1984, Bob’s Bruce joined KISS as the band’s lead guitarist, taking over Mark St. John.
In 1975, Bob played lead guitar on Lou Reed’s album Coney Island Baby. He then joined Meat Loaf’s touring band, Neverland Express, of which he remained a member for over a decade. He also appeared on several of Meat Loaf’s 1984 album, Bad Attitude.
Over the years, Bob also did session work for Diana Ross, Michael Bolton, and W.A.S.P., and produced Motörhead’s Grammy Award-winning song “Whiplash”. More recently, he composed, performed, and performed the SpongeBob SquarePants song “Sweet Victory”, which appeared in the episode “Band Geeks”.
