Twenty-nine years ago today (July 13, 1994) was an unforgettable day for Garth Brooks: It was the day that he performed “Hard Luck Woman” with KISS on The Tonight Show.
Brooks recorded “Hard Luck Woman” — which KISS originally recorded in 1976 for their Rock and Roll Over album — for a KISS tribute album, KISS My Ass: Classic KISS Regrooved. He was the only country artist to appear on the 12-track project; other acts who contributed to the record include Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Extreme. In an attempt to honor the tradition of KISS, the Oklahoma native asked the band to perform for the track, making his the only song on the album that actually includes members of KISS.
Brooks’ appearance on The Tonight Show, which was hosted by Jay Leno at the time, came just as his award-winning career was soaring to new heights. His single “One Night a Day,” from his multi-platinum In Pieces album, was climbing up the charts, and he had sold out stadiums and arenas all over Europe on his inaugural world tour. One night after Brooks’ appearance on The Tonight Show, the superstar performed a charity show at the Hollywood Bowl, where he sold out 18,000 tickets in a record-setting 21 minutes.
Readers can press play on the video above to watch Brooks and KISS’ performance. The KISS My Ass tribute album is available on Amazon.
This story was originally written by Gayle Thompson, and revised by Annie Zaleski.
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