Classic Rock Magazine interviewed KISS frontman Paul Stanley about the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Read the interview below.
Classic Rock: Did you feel honored at being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?
Paul Stanley: No, it was done begrudgingly and because it had become absolutely ludicrous that they were choosing to ignore us. At the end of the day most people don’t realize that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was a privately created establishment and that it has a self-appointed board. It’s a perfect case of perception becoming reality. People heard “Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame” and gave it credibility. So whether it deserves the title has to be weighed against who it inducts. So was it an honor to be nominated? No. It means a lot to the fans and I understand it because it’s validation for them. So for that reason I accept graciously and accept on their behalf.
My feelings and my ambivalence about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn’t changed any. Their attitude is elitist and it doesn’t reflect the public. It reflects a small group who dictate who meets the criteria that they set up as “rock and roll”. I’ve always felt the spirit of rock and roll meant not only ignoring your critics, but ignoring your peers and going your own way. I think we’ve done that pretty much with few exceptions for forty years. So that same criteria that kept us out has not gotten us in. I scratch my head a little and I also take issue with a certain arrogance within that group.
Nonetheless I look at some of the inductees and any club that has Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and The Who and the Beatles and the Stones is company I don’t mind being in and my feelings have nothing to do with any of them, it purely has to do with a system which I think is tainted, corrupted and distorted.
Classic Rock: Are you looking forward to playing it?
Paul Stanley: Honestly, I have no plans at the moment to do anything, and that includes playing with Ace and Peter or anyone else. My plan at the moment is to go and accept the award. Anything else, we’ll see how it unfolds or unravels. It was interesting to me, or offensive to me, that when the question was broached with the hierarchy about inducting additional members it was shut down immediately as “a non starter,” which to me is arrogant. People who sit behind desks need to respect the people who are actually either inductees or possible inductees into this so-called hallowed organization. So the fact that there are 30 or 40 or 50 or some absurd number of Grateful Dead members all inducted, the fact that all of the Chili Peppers, including people who played on early albums that never amounted to very much are not inducted, the fact that John Rutsey, the drummer on the first Rush album is not inducted, the fact that Rob Trujillo, who’s a great guy but didn’t play on any of the classic Metallica albums, was inducted after being in the band six years makes me wonder exactly what are the rules? If the rules don’t apply to everybody then they’re not rules.
Classic Rock: Do you plan to bring Ace and Peter up on stage with you?
Paul Stanley: Of course it goes without saying that Ace and Peter deserve this moment in the spotlight. We wouldn’t be here without them. We couldn’t have built what we did without them at the foundation. That being said, we couldn’t have built what we built without a lot of people who followed them. We couldn’t have been here without them and we couldn’t be here today with them. So absolutely, of course they deserve and belong up there.
Classic Rock: Ace and Peter jammed together at recent party for That Metal Show presenter [and radio DJ] Eddie Trunk. How did you feel about that?
Paul Stanley: I didn’t feel one way or the other. I don’t own those songs, I only wrote ‘em. There’s nothing to guard or lock away. Those songs are public domain and they played on those songs so why wouldn’t they play them? For that matter, why wouldn’t anybody play them?
source: classicrockmagazine.com
115 Responses
I’ve been a KISS fan since 1972. I am now an Iron Maiden fan and can’t believe they are not in! Judas Priest, Deep Purple mark 2, what a joke! But on the issue of who should be inducted. The fact Gene and Paul are throwing such a fit about Ace and Peter, tells me if they could keep those two out, they would. Ace had the most successful solo album of the four, and Peter sang their highest charting song. That being said Ace and Peter have taken responsibility for the issues and problems they caused in the band. More so Ace than Peter, however the ONLY members to be inducted are the original members. If not for them, the mega business machine would not now exist. I love all the stuff Eric Carr contributed and the same with Bruce and Bob Kulick, as well as Vinnie Vincent. But none of them contributed anything to the legacy that got them the army of fans that are still following them from the 70’s. I won’t even address the two hired whores impersonating Ace and Peter, mainly because the don’t have enough self respect to refuse to wear the make-up and costumes that belong to Ace and Peter. I find it interesting that Paul talks about integrity, since he has been ripping people off with that horrible cat dying, pubescent crackling voice of his. How embarrassing, my voice sux and I would be so much better! This whole thing comes down to what Eddie said, Gene and Paul have not convinced enough fans that this version of KISS is better in every way than the original band. Maybe musically, but not when it comes to authenticity! And Gene and Paul are scared to death of the reunion talk, I must add I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THAT AGAIN! Only because the reunion and farewell tours were amazing. But a one off performance or even a one night show with the original band members would be great. They could bring out the rest of the surviving members to do RARAN! And then retire, I watched the Rock am-ring & Monster concerts on TV, embarrassingly humiliating! I love KISS, but I can’t take the two biggest phony Hippocrates in the world Gene and Paul! Elitists? Really Paul pot calling the kettle black! Up the irons \m/
Overall I’m really impressed with the majority of these comments. Almost all of them are mature, well thought out opinions. Makes me proud to be part of a great metal community. Kiss can thank the fans and we can thank Eddie for giving us all a voice! Hey, it sure bests stamp collecting! Long live rock n roll.
Wouldn’t it be interesting if KISS (Gene,Peter,Paul & Ace) showed up in full Love Gun Tour outfits/makeup….do a decent set of tunes Deuce, Detroit Rock City, Cold Gin, Live Gun, Black Diamond, Parasite, Beth, Firehouse, Strutter, & Rock & Roll All Night…did a set list like that or something close, end the show and tell the fans something like this “We started out together, we ended up in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame together & we are ending the band the same way we started….TOGETHER. Thank you for 40 plus years of good, bad & sad times of KISS….Goodnight & Goodbye, Love Gene, Paul, Peter & Ace!!!!! Joe from The Cuse Go Orange.
That’s how I would love to see KISS end their amazing journey. Class, dignity & integrity. Joe from The Cuse. Go Orange.
If people knew the weekly wage of Thayer,Kulick,Singer they’d probably think the Ozzy,Dio checks were high to their hired guns in retrospect for their work.I read Singer cashed his food/hotel checks and ate with the crew and slept on the bus. Paul & Gene are the bosses. Ace & Peter ought to really let the dynamic duo have it if not allowed to perform cept with a stage full of Kiss guys. Hope the Stanley book signings are pre HOF, I’d let him have it face to face…”Thayer-Singer up there Paul?”. How bout a big Bensonhurst blob in a Kiss shirt in his face: “You guys suck now, when’s da Ace-Petah line-up comin’?”. How bout somebody goin “this is from Ace” and a big pie in his face.
Wow. One of the worst comments on this entire page. Grow up and act like a mature adult, not a troll. If you are that angry just stay home and stay away. Paul and Gene can do whatever they want. If you dont like it, dont buy it or go to the shows. Simple as that. To think for a moment that anyone would take the time to wait for hours in line at a booksigning just so they could go off on Paul is childish beyond words and kind of scary. Shame on you. You give rock fans a bad name.
IN THESE MODERN TIMES OF SEX AND DEATH AND ALL OF THAT STUFF
I STILL FIND MYSELF SAYNG:
DON’T WANNA WAIT ‘TILL YOU KNOW ME BETTER
LET’S JUST PREPARE FOR THE TIME TOGETHER……….
PAUL STANLEY is a great frontman, who cares about this other nonsense. This HOF shit doesn’t validate KISSes accomplishments. The music does. The tours, the costumes, the great album covers etc. KISS is a big part of world culture. Their place in history is etched in stone. This so called HALL OF FAME needs them and not the other way around.