KISS has been smacked with a major lawsuit from the band’s longtime hairdresser, who claims the band fired him after he raised concerns over tour Covid-19 protocol management. According to TMZ, hairstylist David Mathews has accused KISS’ manager, Doc McGhee, of mishandling the Covid-19-related death of longtime KISS guitar tech Francis Stueber. In addition to McGhee, KISS co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have been named as defendants in the suit.
According to the suit, Matthews began to feel ill during a tour stop in 2021. Both Matthews and Stanley encouraged McGhee to go to the hospital, which he agreed to do. However, Matthews claims that McGhee later told him that Stueber did not want to go to the hospital, which he says conflicted with what Stueber had told him previously. The men once again urged Stueber to go to the hospital, which he again agreed to do. McGhee allegedly stated that a Live Nation representative would pick Stueber up and drive him to the hospital, but this never happened.
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“Unfortunately, it was apparent that Mr. McGhee did not act in a timely manner. The Live Nation representative did not arrive until the following morning. When visitors entered Mr. Stueber’s room at about 1 a.m., he was found dead,” Matthews claims. Rolling Stone ran a story about the tragedy, which Matthews states upset KISS and their management. He alleges that he was blamed for being an anonymous leaker to the outlet — which he denied — and subsequently fired. Matthews is suing for wrongful termination, failure to pay all wages, and retaliation in violation of labor code. TMZ states that reps for KISS have no responded to a request for comment.
The lawsuit reports comes after KISS made a big announcement this week, revealing when and where the band will play its final show ever. In a joint statement published by Deadline, the legendary rockers shared that they will play their last concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where they originally formed five decades ago. The show will take place in December.
“KISS was born in New York City. On 23rd Street. Half a century ago,” KISS said. “It will be a privilege and honor to finish touring at Madison Square Garden, 10 blocks and 50 years from where we first started.” Notably, fans will have more than one chance to catch the band at MSG, as they will play two final shows at the iconic venue. Tickets are set to go on sale Monday, March 6.
