Rock Star Impersonator Parties Like One

Pete Galvan parties like a rock star.  The Ambridge steelworker and employee even has groupies, and it’s all because he has a startling resemblance to veteran real rock star Gene Simmons from the rock band KISS.

“My friend who’s a hypnotist says she can cure me of my womanizing,” said Galvan, 61..

It started a few years ago when Galvan was watching a beer television commercial in which Simmons endorsed the brew sans makeup. For years, fans didn’t know much about how KISS members really looked because they wore so much makeup.

But when clean-faced Simmons appeared on the screen, Galvan’s friends said “Dude, you look exactly like that guy.”

A new side career was born.

Galvan plays and sings in KISS tribute bands and does cameos with other bands. He was at Pittsburgh’s Hard Rock Café last Friday with a Rolling Stones tribute band.

Galvan once met Simmons at a concert. Does the real McCoy care that Pete is making money with his look-alike bit?

“I think he cares. I would be disturbed, too. I guess it does bother him,” Galvan said.

The fake Simmons says the real one was sort of remote during their meeting, and he heard through the grapevine that Simmons was thinking of suing him. Legal action has yet to materialize.

Galvan said he has punked real celebrities who bought his bit, including country singers George Straight and Amy Grant, as well as Lady Gaga. Some later caught on to his charade. Some, he said, did not.

Though his dead-ringer appearance includes a dead-on imitation of Simmons, he also impersonates other singers but not their appearance, including George Straight, Paul Stanley (also of KISS) and pop stars Englebert Humperdinck and Neil Diamond.

“If I put my mind to it, I can usually develop a pretty good impersonation,” Galvan said.

Is there anyone he can’t do?

“Yeah, Alice Cooper. I can’t sing like him.”

The fake Simmons is often overwhelmed by the startled reaction of fans, the adoring glances of women and the annoyed reactions of their boyfriends.

“Sometimes men come over to me after their girlfriends have had their pictures taken with me. Girls will want me to kiss them during the photo, and the boyfriends say, ‘Hey, what are you doing with my girlfriend?’ And I say, ‘Well you know, let’s take it outside and I’ll show you my other impersonation… Steven Segal.’ ”

Galvan claims to have a little expertise with martial arts, which has come in handy.

Galvan said he parties like a rock star with real life local sports stars. He said he has been able to sneak into locker rooms and back stage at concerts at first because of his appearance, and later after he fesses up to members of security controlling the access.

“I have a lot of friends at the Consol Center and Heinz Field. They take care of me,” Galvan said.

Sometimes, he said, he hangs out with sports celebrities whose names are familiar but not their faces, he said.

“And we’ll be in the V.I.P. room and people have no idea who the sports stars are," Galvan said. "But they know exactly who I am -- or who they think I am."

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