Nearly 50 Years Later, KISS Have Forgiven Matt Cameron + Drummer Posts Letter

As a longtime KISS fan, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron is finally right with the band after a teenage infraction that landed him a cease-and-desist letter. The musician recently received a "forgiveness" letter and other items from Aucoin Management after his teenage covers band fell in violation of the band's trademark.

Why Did Matt Cameron Receive a Cease and Desist From KISS?

Cameron relayed his experience receiving a cease and desist letter from his '70s idols during a 2024 appearance on SiriusXM's Howard Stern Show.

As he drummer told it, "I was in a neighborhood KISS cover band when I was 13, 14 or something like that. We played our local high school's keggers, and whatnot. And my dad was friends with the head of the stagehand union in San Diego. So, when KISS was playing there — it was during the 'Alive!' tour, so that was '75 — we got to go see KISS do a soundcheck at the San Diego Sports Arena."

According to Cameron, he brought his cover band bandmates with him to the soundcheck while sharing a photo album of their cover band.

"My mom made my costume, and Tim's mom made his costume. We built these rickety plywood platforms in Tim's garage. We made flash pots out of coffee cans and a light socket with a little flash powder inside of it. It was janky, low rent, horrible," he recalls of their production value.

"So anyways, we took this photo album to meet KISS frontman Paul Stanley. We got a photo with him. And so, we were sort of, like, 'Hey man, we're in a KISS cover band. Here's our stupid little photo album.'"

READ MORE: KISS Albums Ranked

But the excitement of that moment was doused not long after when they got a cease-and-desist letter from KISS' management, Aucoin Management, since they had decided to name themselves KISS as well unaware as teenagers of the legal conflict.

"Cut to, like, I don't know, four to six months later, we get a cease-and-desist letter from KISS' then-management company Aucoin Management," Cameron shared with Stern. "We were big KISS fans. So, KISS used to put the logo from Aucoin Management on their albums, so we were all excited when we got the letter. 'Whoa, we're getting a letter from Aucoin Management. We've made it.' And it was a cease-and-desist from KISS."

Cameron says the group was forced to comply, and from them on performed under the name KISS (Imitation).

Matt Cameron Tell Howard Stern His Teenage KISS Covers Band Got a Cease and Desist Letter

Matt Cameron Officially Receives 'Forgiveness'

After the story of Matt Cameron's cease and desist letter from KISS circulated, the drummer recently revealed that the period of the band he idolized as a teen serving him legally had come to an end.

Roman Fernandez, the biographer for Bill Aucoin and co-founder of Aucoin Globe Entertainment, reached out to Cameron with a letter dated on May 2. It was a "forgiveness" letter in which the Aucoin representative cleared the infraction from Cameron's record.

“With all the powers (not) granted to me, I hereby officially declare the cease and desist letter from Aucoin Management null and void — though maybe double-check with Doc just in case,” remarked Fernandez, referencing KISS' longtime manager Doc McGhee.

Cameron posted the letter on his socials, as well as the Aucoin Management business card and some merch and flyers, noting, "CASE CLOSED. Thank you so much Roman Fernandez for this incredibly thoughtful gift."

Matt Cameron in 2025

We would assume that Cameron has learned his lesson and won't be relaunching his KISS covers band using the band's name again. That said, he'll stand alongside his onetime idols in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a second time later this year.

After being inducted into the Rock Hall with Pearl Jam in 2017, he'll also go in with Soundgarden later this year.

Pearl Jam's tour schedule is currently blank for 2025. Meanwhile, Soundgarden have continued to speak about their desire to finish the final record they were working on with Chris Cornell before his 2017 death.

Guitarist Kim Thayil told Rolling Stone, "It would be a great gift to the fans. And I do think about this, and I don’t know how strange this sounds, but I feel like it’s a gift to Chris too."