Background and career
Bruce Howard Kulick (; born December 12, 1953) is an American guitarist best known as a former guitarist of the band Kiss (1984–1996). He was also a member of Union with John Corabi from 1997 to 2002, Blackjack from 1979 to 1980 and Grand Funk Railroad from 2000 to 2023. Kulick has also released several solo albums, in addition to session work with various artists. He is the younger brother of guitarist Bob Kulick.
Kulick was born in Brooklyn, New York City and lived in Queens for a time, graduating from Newtown High School. He is Jewish and also went to Hebrew school. Kulick's brother, session guitarist/producer Bob Kulick, was influential in his music career. Bob's performance credits include W.A.S.P., Meat Loaf's touring band, and Kiss.
Bruce's first band KKB, was formed in 1974. Its other members were his childhood friends Mike Katz and Guy Bois (the other K and B of KKB, respectively) and Kulick likened its sound to that of Cream. Kulick found the master tape from those sessions in 2008 and issued it via limited edition CD, available during his appearances at Kiss expos and via his website. In an interview from 2008, Kulick also discussed his lifelong love of Star Wars and its historical similarities to Kiss. He first began touring professionally with George McCrae and Andrea True.
In 1977, following the release of Meat Loaf's first album Bat Out of Hell, Kulick played rhythm guitar/lead guitar on tour with Meat Loaf's band alongside his brother Bob on lead guitar/rhythm guitar. The success of the year-long tour took the Kulick brothers around the world. In addition to the success of the tour, many famous television appearances were done, such as Saturday Night Live and The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Kulick was a member of the band Blackjack, with Michael Bolton, during the band's short existence from 1979 to 1980. He also played on several Bolton solo albums. (Bolton later co-wrote the Kiss song "Forever", from Hot in the Shade). "Stay", a Blackjack song co-written by Kulick and Bolton, was sampled by rapper Jay-Z for the song "A Dream" off his 2002 album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse which reached #1 on the Billboard charts.
Kulick joined the Long Island-based band the Good Rats in 1981, and is on their album, Great American Music.
