SIX DEGREES OF KISS: EL DUCE

Rob Harris I accept your challenge and will connect El Duce to KISS in six steps or less.

El Duce was a founding member of seminal "rape rock" pioneers The Mentors. Soon after he went public with his story that Courtney Love had offered to pay him cash dollars to dispense with her husband Kurt Cobain a drunken El Duce was conveniently hit by a train. How on earth will I connect this guy to KISS in six steps or less? Like this:

1. As previously stated El Duce (real name Eldon Wayne Hoke--serial killer name alert) was a founding member of "rape rock" pioneers The Mentors.

2. The Mentors' 2005 album Over the Top was co-produced by Seattle mainstay Jack Endino. El Duce did not contribute to the album on account of his untimely demise, but still...

3. Jack Endino produced then former Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson's 1996 solo album Skunkworks.

4. A cover of the song "Riding With the Angels" by Russ Ballard from his 1980 album Barnet Dogs (which features one of the worst album covers in history) is included as a bonus track on the 2002 reissue of Bruce Dickinson's first solo album, Tattooed Millionaire.

5. Russ Ballard wrote many songs including "God Gave Rock and Roll To You," "New York Groove," and "Into the Night."

6. "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" was reinterpreted by KISS for the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack and included on the band's 1992 album Revenge, "New York Groove" became a surprise hit single from Ace Frehley's 1978 KISS solo album and "Into the Night" was the lead off single from Ace Frehley's first post-KISS album Frehley's Comet.

And there you have it: