13TH STREET ENTERTAINMENT: The OFFICIAL Home of KEVIN K

BORN: In May at Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, NY

Kevin K's early years were spent outside of Buffalo in Upstate New York growing up listening to Alice Cooper, the Rolling Stones, New York Dolls, Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. Though no single artist compelled him to become a musician, he does attribute his childhood music interests, the CBGBs artists (like the Ramones, Johnny Thunders, and Dead Boys) along with other artists like Paul Westerberg for heavily influencing his musical direction. Kevin first learned to play guitar, though he drummed and sang in bands with his brother Alan (Grimm Reaper, Aunt Helen and The Toys [later New Toys]), because they couldn't find a drummer that had the style they sought. The Toys were one of Buffalo's leaders of the late 70s punk movement. Garnishing much adulation, not only from their fans, but from critics, they, "played every piss and beer stained bar covering Upstate New York and Southern Canada," states Kevin. Reaching their pinnacle in late 1980/early 1981, having opened up for bands like The Ramones, The Babys, Pat Benatar, The Romantics, Eddie Money, Squeeze, the Dead Boys, and The Tourists (later The Eurythmics), they were no longer satisfied being a big fish in a little pond. As the punk scene died and many of the era's bands along with it, the band reinvented itself and their musical stylings. The out-of-control antics and sounds of Kevin Rat, Rocky Starr, Meat Cleaver and Mick Tyler matured and adapted to the oncoming of the power-pop era. Having changed their name, now New Toys, their sound, their management (now managing themselves) and a bass player (Meat Cleaver being replaced by Peter Cain in July 1982), they set out to conquer the larger cities of Chicago, Detroit and the Big Apple. In December of 1982 the band relocated to the New York Borough Of Staten Island, became friends with artists like Dirty Looks and Johnny Thunders, and were playing regularly at clubs like CBGBs and Gildersleeve's. By 1983 the guitarist (Doug Tyler) quit. But again out of the ashes rises the Phoenix in the form of a trio known as Lone Cowboys, who would go onto having even more success, charting number 20 on Sweden's independent music chart with a remake of the Debbie Boone classic, "You Light Up My Life," which in turn got them signed to Caroline Records. By late 1989 the two K brothers would reinvent themselves again as the Road Vultures, this time with Kevin playing guitar alongside his brother Alan. It wasn't long after the new formation that that former New York Doll Sylvain Sylvain and ex-Heartbreaker Jerry Nolan and asked them to open a show at the Continental Divide (NYC). This was the first public performance by the Road Vultures. One show turned into 15 straight weekends. More shows followed with friends like Dee Dee Ramone, The Waldos, and Cheetah Chrome. Road Vultures quickly attained a large underground Rock 'n' Roll following not only in New York City, but up and down the mid-atlantic coast and the LA/Hollywood scene. After two albums on Circumstantial Records, Kevin decided on a solo career, releasing his debut album Nightlife on the Circumstantial label under the name Kevin K Band. Signing to 13th Street Entertainment in late January of 1996, Mr. K released Never Enough (a live cassette only), a combination of live shows and rehearsal sessions. Many more releases have followed, not only on the 13th Street label, but AOK Recordings, Australia's Vicious Kitten Records and the independent French label Sucksex; and now Fullbreach Kicks from the USA. Constantly touring Europe and recording in France, Kevin has found great success outside of the US, but little time to play in his own country, with exception to New York City. In May 2001, Kevin's current release is Perfect Sin and his newly recorded album, Rock 'n' Roll Dynamite will be released in January.

The St. Pete's All Stars is Kevin's current backing band and can be now seen on his Rock 'n' Roll Dynamite tour of the US. The All Stars were formed shortly after the break-up of the Real Kool Kats (see below). His new band is called (in full), Kevin K and the St. Pete's All Stars and now features Hugh T. Williams on drums, Edo from the Go To Hells on guitar, and Big Marty from The Weapons on bass.

After almost 4 years together, performing 122 gigs throughout Europe (the last being October 10, 2005), Kevin announced on October 25th, 2005 that the band was on indefinite hiatus. The original Real Kool Kats line-up was "Cosmik" Jack O. Leroy, Ritchie Buzz and Doc "Tijoux" Ayolee. Jack, coming from France's influential glam rockers the Bohemians and later grungy MC5 wannabees Drive Blind (having toured with Therapy?, Afghan Wigs and the Doughboys), put he band together for Kevin in January 2002; bringing bassist Ritchie from a "nu" metal trio called Cheese and a Marseille session musician named Doc "Tijoux" Ayolee as their drummer. For lack of a better name at the time they called themselves the Six Stringers, however, shortly after the first tour they decided the band deserved a true and permanent name, hence the Real Kool Kats were born; stolen from a line of Bowie's Diamond Dogs ("...Halloween Jack is a real cool cat..."). In 2003 drummer Ayolee quit the band to continue his percussion studies. He recorded two album with Kevin, Sealed Works & Kiss of Death. Shortly thereafter, Vincent Price III, a rock and roll living legend that started playing in 1962, joined the boys adding a heavier back-end to the band in the studio as well as on tour. Now together for over 4 years, they each not only bring a unique sound to the band, but are also heavily involved in writing songs with Kevin and helping in production aspects in the studio; engineering, mastering and designing each new album.


Original Line-up	Trash Brats	Sour Jazz	Hollywood Teasze	Six Stringers

BAND: Original Line-up Formed 1995

The Kevin K Band has gone through various personnel changes since its incarnation in 1995. Originally founded with the bassist (Richie Molesso) and drummer (Madd Maxx Gallo) from Kevin and Alan K's Road Vultures, the bassist would be the first to depart — rather abruptly after returning from acoustic shows in Chitose-city (Hokkaido) and Tokyo, Japan in May of 1998 (though years later Richie would re-emerge to play with Kevin again). With a follow-up tour planned for December in support of his album Rule The Heart, Kevin signed on guitarist Ricky Rat and bassist Toni Romeo from the Trash Brats to fill out the line-up. But only a month prior to the start of the Scene of the Crime tour, Maxx Gallo abruptly announced that he was not going to Japan (strangely enough he's now a house husband living in Japan). He was immediately terminated and replaced with Karl "Jerry" Durden of Virgin recording artists The Customers. Upon returning from Japan Kevin was still without a full time backing band and getting ready to enter the recording studio for Magic Touch. Kevin would continue to use Karl, Toni and Ricky whenever possible, but their own projects did not allow them at the time to record. Again, Kevin would use Tin Pan Alley Studio in New York City, because of the "sound of the studio," the caliber of Patrick Klein's engineering and Patrick's intuitiveness of knowing exactly what Kevin wanted. But Kevin took the session one step further by using the staff as his musicians, all of which were highly accomplished artists themselves. Patrick Klein, currently of The Lizards on bass and guitar, Giovanni Fusco on drums, and returning again, Lorenza Poncé (Sheryl Crow, Dixie Chicks & Moby) on violin. From that point on Kevin would never again settle for just one backing band for touring or recording. In New York City he usually uses Patrick "Spat" Fitzgerald and "Cowboy" Mark Rubenstein from Sour Jazz, but also uses Patrick Klein, Richie Molesso, Mark X -- and recently Michael Thimren (former Johnny Thunders guitarist) from Sweden, Jeff Crane and Dave Cuneo (of Rick Blaze and the Ballbusters). While touring the United States, which is now rare, he still uses Karl Durden and members of Trash Brats. In Germany, Italy and Austria he uses Chris Lakriz and Andi Hill formerly of Hollywood Teasze and throughout European it is, of course, the Real Kool Kats. Kevin's long association with touring and recording with different musicians will only continue. "I can't see myself ever using only one band again," Kevin states. "Working with different musicians keeps things fresh and makes me look forward to being on the road or in the studio. It's how Rock and Roll should be—fun!"
~ Ted Sterns, 13th Street Entertainment