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Music and sports can share a lot, as is evident in this story about rock band KISS and a Michigan high school football team. It was a long time ago, in the 1970s, and Cadillac High School, Cadillac had a high-flying football team that made the school and the entire town proud by going an entire season unbeaten.
At the time the Cadillac Vikings were taking high school football by storm, the rock band KISS was just being formed in New York. The 70s was the golden era of rock and the band offered something different. By 1975, when the band was still coming up, the Cadillac Vikings had come upon hard times.
The team was losing game after game, and as a way of getting the team’s spirit up, rock music was pitched as a locker room staple. The team went for KISS, and the impact was immediate. The Vikings won seven straight victories as they cruised the remainder of the season.
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How did KISS respond to their influence on the Michigan high school football team?
KISS was formed out of New York, and between 1973-75, they were just trying to establish a voice in the music world. Imagine their surprise when they hear that a Michigan high school football team has made their music its locker room sound. For a band on the rise, nothing can be more inspiring.
The band went all out to Cadillac in Oct. 1975 where they entertained the crowd at the homecoming dance of the high school. It was a dream come true for the football team, the school, and the entire town, which never forgot that momentous visit.
Forty years later, in 2015, the town had a celebration to commemorate the band’s visit and performance at the school homecoming. It was tagged “KISS Cadillac Homecoming 40th Anniversary Celebration,” and featured the unveiling of a monument in honor of the band.
Interestingly, the band also did not forget. During their “End of the Road” tour in 2019, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley recalled their Cadillac connection with images showing in the background.
