Punky Meadows, the guitarist for glam-rock outfit Angel, recently revealed the true story behind his failed audition with KISS. Meadows, who’s known as the only guitarist who turned down KISS, shared details about how a single sentence cost him the opportunity to join the legendary rock band. His account was featured in Guitar World.

Meadows explained the circumstances that led to his audition and what transpired during his meeting with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.

“Angel was broken up, and Gregg [Giuffria, keyboardist] and I had a band called Legend,” Meadows said. “And then, Barry Levine, a photographer who did all the Casablanca stuff and did the KISS and Angel photos back in the day, called me up. He said, ‘Listen, Punky, KISS is looking for a guitar player. Ace is gone.’”

“I said, ‘Yeah, I kind of heard something about that, but I didn’t pay much attention to it,’” he continued. “He said, ‘Well, they’re looking for a guitar player. I’m at The Record Plant right now with Gene and Paul. I mentioned your name, and Gene said, ‘That’s a great idea!’ I said, ‘Okay, well, have Gene call me.’”

The audition itself went smoothly. Meadows impressed the band members during the session.

“Gene goes, ‘Hey, we’d like you to come down and sit in with us. Learn one side of Alive! We don’t care which, just learn one side and come down,’” Meadows recalled. “I probably learned the first side, went down to their rehearsal space, walked in, and Gene, Paul, and Eric Carr were there, playing Zeppelin’s Communication Breakdown.”

“I just walked in, plugged up, played, and it sounded really great,” he said. “Everybody was really happy, and so I sat down on the drum riser with Gene, and he said, ‘You got the gig. Let’s talk.’ I go, ‘Well, Gregg and I are shopping a deal. I have to talk to Gregg… I gotta let him know.’”

This response immediately changed the atmosphere in the room.

“As soon as I said that, Gene got up and said, ‘Come on, Paul. Let’s go,’” Meadows explained. “They stormed outta there, and just left me sitting on the drum riser, talking to Eric for about a half hour, or so. Anyway, I got home, and Barry called me up, saying, ‘Punky… what’d you do?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Gene and Paul came back to the studio with their jaws on the floor. Gene said, ‘No one has ever turned down KISS.’ I said, ‘Barry, I didn’t turn them down. I just said I had to let Gregg know.’”

Meadows later learned the financial implications of his misunderstood response.

“But I guess I insulted Gene so much by not just taking it and saying ‘yes’ right away,” he said. “Barry then said, ‘Well, they were going to offer you $200,000 a year plus points…’ And at the time, I was broke, you know?”

The incident highlights how a simple miscommunication led to Meadows missing out on what could have been a career-defining opportunity with one of rock’s most successful bands.

This wasn’t the only major opportunity that slipped through Meadows’ fingers during his career. The guitarist’s reputation and talent had attracted attention from several legendary rock acts beyond KISS.

Wikipedia documented that Meadows was invited to join Kiss, Aerosmith, and the New York Dolls, all of which he turned down. This pattern of declining major opportunities suggests that his loyalty to his bandmates and existing commitments often took precedence over potentially lucrative career moves.

The timing of the KISS audition coincided with a transitional period in Meadows’ career. VWMusic revealed that after Angel broke up, Meadows, Gregg Giuffria, and Barry Brandt formed a band with Ricky Phillips and Fergie Frederiksen while shopping for a record deal. This explains why Meadows felt obligated to consult with Giuffria before accepting the KISS offer.

Born Edwin Lionel Meadows Jr. on February 6, 1950, Wikipedia confirmed that Punky Meadows is an American guitarist best known as a member of the band Angel between 1975 and 1980. His glam rock image and guitar skills made him a sought-after musician during the height of the genre’s popularity.

The guitarist’s career took an unexpected turn after Angel’s initial run ended. Guitar World reported that Meadows walked away from the music industry for over three decades before making his return. His recent comeback has been described as meaningful. The guitarist stated that Angel’s second act “means all the world to me.”