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A judge reportedly dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Kiss guitar tech Francis Stueber, who died from COVID-19 in 2021 while on tour with the band. The lawsuit ended Nov. 5, ahead of a court hearing originally set for Nov. 7, according to Rolling Stone. Stueber, 53, was the guitar tech for Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley for two decades before his death. His widow Catherine and multiple family members filed the lawsuit against Kiss co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, and Kiss’ longtime manager Doc McGee in October 2023, the outlet reported. The lawsuit claimed Stueber died while on the “End of the Road World Tour,” two days after he was allegedly “abandoned” in a “random hotel room” as he grew increasingly ill, according to Rolling Stone. Live Nation was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. My dear friend, buddy and guitar tech for 20 years, Fran Stueber died yesterday suddenly of Covid. Both on and offstage I depended on him for so much. My family loved him as did I. He was so proud of his wife and 3 boys as they were of him. I’m numb. pic.twitter.com/RvwUGpFt0X — Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) October 17, 2021 The lawsuit alleged the rock band had not established “recommendation[s], information, policies, procedures, or safety measures of any kind” to manage staff who caught COVID-19 while on tour, the outlet reported. Stueber’s family formerly filed a notice of “conditional settlement” involving the band and Live Nation, but no terms of private settlement were disclosed, according to Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone reported allegations from several Kiss roadies almost two years before the lawsuit was filed. The roadies claimed that inadequate COVID-19 protocols contributed to Stueber’s death. The roadies told the outlet the band failed to regularly test the crew, and several other workers allegedly fell ill with the virus prior to Stueber’s death. (RELATED: KISS Guitarist Ace Frehley Dead At 74) “I couldn’t believe how unsafe it was, and that we were still going,” one roadie told the outlet at the time. “We’d been frustrated for weeks, and by the time Fran died, I just thought, ‘You have to be f*cking kidding me.’” The band denied the allegations, saying protocols “met, but most often exceeded, federal, state, and local guidelines,” according to Rolling Stone. The outlet reported Kiss previously settled a related wrongful termination lawsuit brought by the band’s longtime wig stylist, David Mathews. Mathews claimed he was with the band in Illinois in October 2021 when Stueber showed severe COVID-19 symptoms according to the outlet, citing the lawsuit. He alleged the band failed to take “timely” action when he alerted them to Stueber’s declining health.
