Sean Delaney (musician)
| Sean Delaney | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Prentice John Delaney Jr. |
| Born |
January 8, 1945 Tempe, Arizona |
| Died | April 13, 2003 (aged 58) Utah |
| Years active | 1960s–2003 |
| Associated acts | Sean Delaney and Trust Natural Juice KISS Skatt Bros. |
Prentice John Delaney Jr. (January 8, 1945 – April 13, 2003), better known as Sean Delaney, was an American musician, producer, road manager and songwriter, best known for his work with the rock band KISS from the early 1970s until the early 1980s. He is largely credited with developing their choreography onstage, and co-wrote many songs with Paul Stanley, including "Mr. Speed", "Makin' Love", and "Take Me" from the 1976 album Rock and Roll Over, and "All American Man" from the studio side of the 1977 album Alive II.
He also co-wrote the song "Rocket Ride" with Ace Frehley for the same album, a song that remained a staple of Frehley's live set throughout his solo career and was used as the title of his 2008 tour. He simultaneously produced and co-wrote songs for Gene Simmons' and Peter Criss' 1978 self-titled solo albums. He is the only person to have co-written songs with each original member of KISS. He is often referred to by fans and those close to the band as "the fifth member of KISS."
Born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, his family moved all around the country. His father, after whom he was named, built a little league field in Cranberry, New Jersey that was named Delaney Field. He attended Pleasant Grove High School. He joined the 101st Airborne and left for the east coast by the late 1960s. Delaney had established himself as the lead singer of several unsuccessful groups in the New York City area. One such group, "Sean Delaney and Trust" signed a recording contract with Elektra Records. Another, a group called "Natural Juice," was signed with Columbia Records after being discovered by Clive Davis. Delaney later formed a company, the "Music Department" with future KISS management Glickman/Marks associate Howard Marks. Delaney's close relationship with KISS manager Bill Aucoin (the two were room-mates, 1969-80) indubitably played a huge part in the early development of the band, as well as his association with Neil Bogart long before KISS or Casablanca Records were created.
According to Delaney, it was he who persuaded Bill Aucoin to go and see the band at the Hotel Diplomat:
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