Before the Thunder: A Conversation with Lew Linet - Ep671

2026-05-29

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Before the fire, before the blood, before the bombs, the boots, the makeup, and the myth… there was a struggling New York band trying to find its way. This week, we go Before the Thunder with Lew Linet — the man who witnessed Wicked Lester evolve into KISS. He saw Gene Klein become Gene Simmons, Stanley Eisen become Paul Stanley, Peter Crisscuola become Peter Criss, and Paul Frehley become Ace. From the shelved Epic Records album to the early club grind at The Daisy, Lew was there before the world understood what was coming. This is the story of rejection, reinvention, and per...

Before the fire, before the blood, before the bombs, the boots, the makeup, and the myth… there was a struggling New York band trying to find its way.

This week, we go Before the Thunder with Lew Linet — the man who witnessed Wicked Lester evolve into KISS.

He saw Gene Klein become Gene Simmons, Stanley Eisen become Paul Stanley, Peter Crisscuola become Peter Criss, and Paul Frehley become Ace.

From the shelved Epic Records album to the early club grind at The Daisy, Lew was there before the world understood what was coming.

This is the story of rejection, reinvention, and persistence — told by someone who saw the lightning strike before the thunder rolled.

He later built a career in the automotive industry, carrying those early lessons in perseverance into the training work he still shares today.

We hope you enjoy Before the Thunder: A Conversation with Lew Linet and SHARE with a friend!

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