Longtime KISS guitar tech Francis Steuber worked for the band and frontman Paul Stanley from 2002 until his passing in 2021. He also appeared on stage with the band during an episode of “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” on A&E when the group performed for the troops.
The longtime tech also worked with Heart, The Offspring and REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin.
Earlier this week, Rolling Stone reported that the family of Steuber has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Rock & Roll Hall Of Famers. Steuber contracted C*vid during the band’s “End Of The Road” tour in 2021, and it sadly killed him.
Steuber’s widow and members of her family filed the lawsuit. “As a direct and proximate result of the dangerous condition created by Defendants,” the suit said, “Decedent suffered fatal injuries and Plaintiffs suffered damages, including, but not limited to funeral and burial expenses, the permanent deprivation of the love companionship, affection solace, society, comfort, assistance, services and financial contributions, and moral support of Decedent in an amount according to proof at trial.”
Stueber’s family claims that “the failure to enforce or have adequate C*vid-19 policies or procedures caused a C*vid-19 outbreak amongst band members and tour personnel.”
“Defendants, and each of them, whether through acts and/or omission to act, breached their duty to Plaintiffs by their negligent production, operation, inspection, supervision, management and control over The End of the Road Tour that ultimately resulted in the death of Decedent,” the suit said.
KISS released a statement following Stueber’s passing defending themselves after some of their crew claimed that the band had a lack of safety protocols in place.
“We are profoundly heartbroken at the loss of Francis, he was a friend and colleague of 20 years, there is no way to replace him,” KISS said in a statement. “Millions of people have lost someone special to this horrific virus and we encourage everyone to get vaccinated. Please protect yourself and your loved ones.”
“Our ‘End Of The Road’ world tour absolutely had COVID safety protocols in place that met, but most often exceeded, federal, state, and local guidelines,” the band added. “But ultimately this is still a global pandemic and there is simply no foolproof way to tour without some element of risk.”
One anonymous crew member told Rolling Stone: “I couldn’t believe how unsafe it was, and that we were still going. We’d been frustrated for weeks, and by the time Fran died, I just thought, ‘You have to be f*cking kidding me.'”
“Every day during the shows, we weren’t tested,” another crew member said. “And there are so many unknowns. Did we superspread this? Did we spread this thing from city to city? It’s horrible that Fran passed, and it’s horrible if this is our protocol just for us to tour. Is this going to be the normal, to stick someone in a hotel? And if somebody dies, ‘Oh, well, off to the next guy?'”
Paul Stanley tweeted at the time: “My dear friend, buddy and guitar tech for 20 years, Fran Stueber died yesterday suddenly of C*vid. 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.”
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