AP
May 31, 2008
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - The Kiss Army fan club has an enthusiastic new recruit: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
In a departure from her staid diplomatic duties, Rice met the legendary glam-rock quartet when they happened to share a hotel in the Swedish capital.
Rice was in Stockholm Thursday for an international conference on Iraq, while Kiss had a sold-out gig to play yesterday.
"I was thrilled," Rice said of her late-night encounter with frontman Gene Simmons and bandmates Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer in the executive lounge of the Sheraton Hotel, where they signed autographs and handed out backstage passes and T-shirts to her staff.
"It was really fun to meet Kiss and Gene Simmons," she told reporters, noting they seemed well informed about current events.
The band had asked if she could stop by after she finished dinner with the Swedish foreign minister and Rice readily agreed, she said.
Rice, a classically trained pianist, said she has eclectic musical tastes ranging from Beethoven to Bruce Springsteen.
Hard stadium rockers like Kiss are included in the mix and Rice said her favorite tune of theirs is "Rock and Roll All Nite."
