"Detroit Rock City" Isn't Just About Detroit

 Heyo! Happy Monday! This post is about a song that I've heard hundreds of times but only learned the story behind as an adult. Was compelled enough to research and write about it hence why we're all here.

DISCLAIMER: This post does mention a car accident that led to death.

(L-R) Pete Criss, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley

KISS is one of my dad's favorite bands of all time. Probably in his top five. I have acquired his love for the band, myself, having listened to them my whole life. While listening to one of my many playlists the other day, "Detroit Rock City Car Crash" came on. It's an eighteen second audio of a simulated car crash included on Destroyer (45th Anniversary Super Deluxe). When it came on, I remembered when my dad told me that "Detroit Rock City" it is based on a real-life crash that happened outside of a KISS concert.

The song was originally meant to be an ode to Detroit, Michigan, which had treated the band with nothing but love over the years. Stanley intended the song to be a celebration of life and music, but when producer and co-writer Bob Ezrin suggested he write something a bit different than partying - which the band is known for - he did just that.

According to Stanley:

"'Detroit Rock City' is an interesting one, because Detroit really embraced us before any other city. We were an opening act everywhere else, and in Detroit we were the headliner. It started as a tribute to Detroit, and then it kind of took a left turn, because we played Charlotte once, and somebody coming to the arena was killed in an accident. And I thought how bizarre that somebody on their way to something so life affirming loses their life. So there's a juxtaposition in that song about singing about how great Detroit is, and actually about someone going to the show who doesn't make it."

The song itself is catchy and if you're not listening to the lyrics closely, you'd have no idea that it tells the story of a reckless driver's last night. It really does sound like another party anthem from the band. When I decided to write about the story behind this song, I tried looking up information about the real crash but came up empty handed. From the various articles I've read that has quoted Stanley, the only information I could gather was it was either a two-car crash, or the person was hit by a car while arriving to the arena and that it happened in Charlotte, North Carolina not in Detroit, Michigan.

The tragedy of the unknown fan is forever immortalized by a band they admired.