Tommy Thayer Has No Desire To Join Another Band After KISS Retires

Tommy Thayer thought he'd reached the end of his career playing in bands before he was ever asked to perform live with KISS. Now that Kiss is winding down its career on the 'End of the Road' tour, Thayer says he has no desire to start a new project.

Thayer recently announced the release of five previously unheard songs by his band Black N' Blue with singer Jaime St. James. The songs, now dubbed The Lost Tapes, were written and produced by Thayer and St. James in the '80s with some A&R help from Gene Simmons.

While Thayer is pleased to finally see the project come to fruition Friday (June 3) when the EP arrives, he tells VW Music that there's no Black N' Blue reunion in the cards.

"After Kiss, I'm not planning on being in a band anymore," said the guitarist. "Honestly, I wasn't planning on being in a band anymore back in the mid-'90s! Jaime and I will always be friends and enjoy music together, just like we've always done."

Simmons, who originally paid for the recordings, recently gave all the publishing rights back to Thayer and St. James.

Speaking last year about his career as a member of Kiss, Thayer says he hopes to be remembered as someone who was "the glue that kept the band together for a long period of time."

He noted that, despite a reputation as the "new guy" in Kiss, he's now held his role in the band longer than any one of his predecessor.

Regarding life after Kiss, Thayer remains unsure what he'll do, though he suspects Simmons and Paul Stanley will find something to keep him busy.

"The band is not gonna tour, but the Kiss music, the identities, and the characters and the brand and the merchandise, that will all continue on," he said in a 2020 interview. "I think that Kiss will continue on in some way. I can't imagine it not."

Kiss will spend the summer touring Europe on the 'End of the Road' tour before heading back the U.S. for more shows early this fall. Get all the tour dates here.