IN HIS UPCOMING AUTOBIOGRAPHY, KISS FRONTMAN PAUL STANLEY REVEALS THAT HE FELT AS IF BANDMATE GENE SIMMONS WAS A “TRAITOR” AND THAT FORMER MEMBERS ACE FREHLEY AND PETER CRISS ARE ANTI-SEMITIC
Larry Getlen of New York Post reports:
When Paul Stanley, frontman and rhythm guitarist for the band KISS, married in November 2005, he shared his joy with friends and family, including bandmates Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.
Notably absent from the ceremony: Stanley’s longtime musical partner, KISS bassist Gene Simmons. He wasn’t invited.
“Your views on marriage are your own,” Stanley told Simmons, who publicly denounced the concept of marriage until his own nups in 2011. “But when you insult and demean people who get married and ridicule or dismiss the idea of marriage, you have no place at a wedding.”
The incident is replayed in Stanley’s memoir, Face the Music: A Life Exposed, written with journalist Tim Mohr and out Tuesday.
As success came [to the band], Stanley noticed in interviews that Simmons “sure used the word ‘I’ a lot.” Stanley accuses him of abandoning the band in the early ’80s, distracted by attempts to become an actor, but then taking credit for Stanley’s work; and also of using the KISS logo and persona for personal projects without contractual permission.
During this time, Stanley writes, Simmons’ duplicity left him feeling there was “a traitor in the midst.”
As harsh as Stanley is with Simmons, he saves his real venom for former band mates Frehley and Criss. After it was announced back in December that KISS will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Barclays Center on Thursday, a public war erupted over which band members would play at the upcoming ceremony.
Frehley, Criss and the Hall wanted a reunion of the original lineup in full makeup; Simmons and Stanley refused, since KISS now has two other long-standing members in drummer, singer and guitarist Thayer. As of now, all four original members will attend the ceremony, but there will be no performance of the band’s music.
Stanley’s book sheds greater light on why he wouldn’t want a full-on reunion, recalling countless past times that Frehley and Criss, who have both had substance-abuse issues, were belligerent and even unable to play.
Stanley also accuses Frehley of stashing drugs “in the bags or pockets of crew members — without their knowledge — so he wasn’t on the hook if they were found.”
Even more shocking are his accusations of anti-Semitism against the pair. Noting that Frehley owned a collection of Nazi memorabilia, and that some of his earliest experiences with Criss involved the drummer racially mocking waiters at Chinese restaurants, Stanley writes that Frehley and Criss resented him and Simmons for controlling the band’s creative output — which Stanley says occurred because Frehley and Criss’ songwriting contributions “just didn’t amount to much.”
Stanley reiterated to The Post that yes, he does believe that Frehley and Criss are anti-Semitic.
“Yes, I do,” he says. “It’s based on years and years of interactions. It’s not pulled out of thin air.” Frehley and Criss did not respond to requests for comment.
Read more at the New York.
source: nypost.com
i,ve been keeping an eye on all this drama for the last few weeks…..its sad……If Paul hates Ace and Peter so much…why and the hell did he reunite with them in the first place…..oh yeah $$$$$$$$$…….we all know about the booze, drugs, no shows, nazi stuff,……..but lets get one thing straight…..Its Ace and Peters induction as well not just Paul and Gene,s……..if they dont like it dont show up….but no that isnt going to happen……i,ve read were Paul said Ace couldnt learn new songs so the set list couldnt change….utter bullshit !!!!!!…i was at a show in melbourne Australia on the farewell tour and KISS had a jam session…Ace had no problems ripping out different tunes but Gene and to a lesser extent Paul struggled…….Paul and Gene used Bruce Kulick until they didnt need him anymore….he was thrown to the scrap heap for $$$$$$$……….Paul &Gene had no problem working with Bob Ezrin even with his drug habit…..the hypocrisy is endless with these guys……Kiss is being inducted for the the body of work the original four did…..not for the throw away rubbish from the 80,s and you can add unmasked and that brilliant idea for a bullshit album THE ELDER….no matter what spin or insults is thrown around Ace Frehley and Peter Criss deserve to be inducted into the hall of fame……..as a matter of fact Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr do as well……..the rest of them not a chance……for what…….filling in spots in Pauls band……honorable mention to Vinny Vincent as he contributed important writing when KISS was on its knees….i dont want to see a reunion that is past………but to diminish Ace and Peters contributions to KISS as Paul and Gene do at every opportunity is tiresome and misleading…….they all had faults………all this has done is diminish KISS in alot of peoples eyes….because under all this fighting and merchandising money grabs is some fantastic rocknroll and i think people do forget that
I saw the Farewell Tours before Peter got replaced by Eric Singer and Peter played fine. The original lineup got to perform non-makeup songs that they were not part of and they sounded great. The original lineup may not be performing at the HoF, but they are reuniting to accept the award and it’s still a reunion regardless.
I have been a fan since ’75… and what after growing up being riduculed for loving this band… enduring it as an adult and always, ALWAYS maintaining my support and love for the band… and with my head held high, had destroyed by none other than the “family” itself in a few months.
Quite simply, they have broke my heart. The worst part? They could care less… I guess its time to grow up and put childish toys away…… Too bad, these grown men can’t act like adults and embrace shared past success and quit taking shots at each other, with the fans hurting the most from the hate.
I loved the original band, accepted that things change and life goes on with the band… I like how Peter and Ace, have tried to take the high road at times, which as a grown man, appreciate, especially with it being the harder thing to do. I am not naive that they had moments of acting ugly and selfish as well, but at times, have appeared to own up to Paul and Gene’s past issues with them..while the other two have acted as if they were better than everyone because of personal choices in life.
When as they constantly let us know, have “come out on top” and are so successful and better than not just Peter and Ace, but ALL of us in life, continue to act as if they are the victims in this whole childish drama. Guys, you WON so why is it so important you destroy and slander these other two men’s lives as if they ruined your life? The bitterness and hate doesn’t add up when you come out on top!! So, why do it? You are succesful professionally and personally with your families, humble and appreciation goes a long way. Gene and Paul have gone out of their way to make the fans choose sides..
The last few months have felt like the slow slow ending of something dying at the end of Black Diamond on the first album….. and it has been.
I’m disgusted and broken hearted by the longest love in my life outside of family…. all 40 years of KISS music/collections will be going to the trash….. I guess I’m the true sucker here huh?
You took my heart for a ride…. good-bye KISS.
See this is a post that G&P should read. Being a Kiss fan is much more than being a fan of Fleetwood Mac. It goes beyond music. They are like brothers to us. My heart is broken, too, and I am so saddened by what Kiss has become. It’s disgusting.
I just still can’t figure out what has caused all the hate. Without Ace and Peter there might not have been KISS- or KISS might’ve not become as well known and famous. Genie and Paul really should be thankful that they met Ace and Peter.. without them neither would probably be the millionaires they are today, married to women half their age with toddlers at 62. At least in Paul’s case.
They both come across as two ungrateful ingrates.
I don’t think it’s just the drugs and alcohol. What you have in the original lineup are four large egos and the fact they ate, slept, and lived together in addition to forming the band.
I agree- it’s many factors that lead to this. True, four huge egos blended together for awhile, but everyone wanting to be important took it’s toll. The drugs and alcohol though, was the final nail in the Kiss Koffin.
Their egos are a lot larger than the replacement members of Eric Carr, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer. As negative as it is, it’s one of those things that made the original lineup stand out. This is huge week for KISS, especially Paul since his book comes out tomorrow.
This has turned into a disaster. What is Paul trying to do? I swear he has become something that I can’t even describe. Gene conveniently left Paul out of the “Nazi uniform prank” story in his book. Now, thanks to Lydia Criss’ book, the photos of Paul Stanley in full Nazi uniform next to Peter are on the ‘net for all to see. Paul, you can hate them all you want but this is just low. He is now coming across as a bitter, angry man.
I dated a great girl for awhile who was afraid to tell me she was Jewish. Jewish people get blamed for stuff, and the thing is: they are the last people who should be blamed, this is coming from me being alive for 46 years. Bill Aucoin was Jewish, and I met him at Ace’s solo gig in 2008, he was there supporting Ace, and he told us that the guys would reunite one more time at the Hall. Ace said a joke from the stage: “Why did God invent Genitles? Someone’s gotta pay retail.” That joke is pretty harmless, I don’t know, I like that post that says, ‘Then why did you get with them in 1996?’ But, no question, on pg 161 in Peter’s book a line got crossed, allegedly by Paul also. I have actually prayed to God that these 4 guys would work out whatever shit there is between them, what they did was such a great contribution to humanity. I don’t think Ace and Peter would have lasted in this business at all if they were really truly racist people, Ace is part Cherokee and Peter is a mutt himself, and that stuff about Peter in a Chinese restaurant was so freaking long ago, goodness.
Bill Aucoin, Sean Delaney, Neil Bogart, Eric Carr, and Mark St. John are all rolling in their graves.
No kidding Van, and Brian up there, I am not laughing at your post one bit, I know how you feel. The funny thing about all this is that the elements that cause so much friction between them are what made them such a formidable band. The four of them are unstoppable, they did it twice, and could do it again if they got back together. I’ll say it again, the press, I think, had alot to do with them fracturing apart at the end of the ’70s, some doh-doh writer always, always having to write who THEY thought was the most, or more to the point, the only, musically talented member of the band. Gene and Paul were actually very sensitive to people saying they weren’t good musicians no matter the denials. So the dip-shit writer says “Ace is the only one with any talent.” Or “Peter is the only member of Kiss who can write a top 40 hit.” None of the writers ever said anything about Paul and Gene’s talent, why I have no idea. They wrote most of the material, and helped Ace and Peter with theirs at times, (that bridge in “Cold Gin” is from Gene, notice its similarity to the bridge in “X-Ray Eyes”). And Ace and Peter, being on whatever they were on, believed their own hype and Gene and Paul pushed back by belittling them. In the beginning they got along fine, it was only after their success, and these loser writers, these ‘critics’ started throwing their 2 bits in. Artists are very sensitive people, so of course the dumb shit the writers wrote had an impact….,Hence, a great band implodes, and the saga continues, getting more personal at each turn. Van, you are right, Aucoin is probably just glad he isn’t around to have to witness this.
I think Ace and Peter are the ones getting the respect for their talents and Paul and Gene are not, which is eating at them.
The thing is: in the ’70s and ’80s, what got printed in a national magazine carried weight, those writers had authority, they were looked on as being qualified on these things. . they intentionally set out to destroy Kiss, covertly and overtly, I don’t doubt this one bit.
My favorite is the NYTimes ‘critic’ who slammed Kiss’s MSG show and he wasn’t even there, he didn’t even go to the show!
Yes.