Brian Aberback from NJ’s Steppin’ Out magazine recently spoke with KISS’ Paul Stanley. An excerpt can be read below.
Steppin’ Out: What is the main message you want people to take from your book?
Paul Stanley: I wanted to be able to write a book that shows how you can go through unsettling times and turmoil and come out on top. There’s no substitute for determination and drive. My life has a happy ending. I thought my story was something people could benefit from. My 19-year-old read the book and I got the response I hoped for. He thought it was fabulous and very inspiring.
Steppin’ Out: From the very beginning you were faced with obstacles. You were born with microtia, a birth defect in which part of your right ear is missing, and you’re also deaf in that ear. How did that affect your musical ambitions?
Paul Stanley: It never affected my music. It affected my social interactions, how I was seen and sometimes ridiculed. Music became my refuge. Although I may not hear music the same way that someone who has hearing in both ears hears it, I never missed anything because I don’t know what things would have sounded like otherwise.
Steppin’ Out: You’re the last of the original members of KISS to write a book. Have you read the other guys’ books?
Paul Stanley: Gene’s book is understandably written from him being in the center of everything, because that’s what he’s like. The other two [by guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss] go from being questionable to absurd. When people’s recollections are tainted by substance abuse they’re not usually people an attorney wants to put on a witness stand. The few bits I read were so ridiculous that it was frightening to think that either of them believe it. For a lot of reasons I feel I’m more objective.
Steppin’ Out: You’re being inducted into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame, and you’re furious with the Hall. Why is that?
Paul Stanley: They are only inducting the original members. It’s disrespectful. We never could have started without [original guitarist and drummer] Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, but this band has a 40-year history that should not be ignored. The Hall of Fame people said that inducting other members who were in the band for decades and played on multi-platinum albums like [guitarist] Bruce Kulick and [late drummer] Eric Carr was a non-starter. That’s not how it has worked with other bands. There’s a commune of Grateful Dead members in there including a writer who never played an instrument and a bass player in Metallica who had only been in the band for 7 years when they were inducted. We are in the Hall of Fame not because those people want us there but because it began to look absurd not having us there. To have a band that many pop bands site as an influence and to be ignored year after year takes a lot of effort. They also wanted to strong arm us into playing with the original guys onlhy in gear and makeup and that was a nonstarter. I’ve been doing this 40 years with total pride and confidence and it would be rolling the dice.Whether it’s official or not I will be there to celebrate 40 years of this band.
The entire interview runs April 9th at so-mag.com.
152 Responses
eddie, I give you all the credit in the world for doing all that you do you truly are THE SPOKESMAN!!
Basically Gene & Paul have gotten their way EVERYTIME….their Attys have never lost any of their lawsuits. Well this is the 1st and probably last time Gene & Paul don’t get their way…..and they are pissed off. So unfortuantly their very true colors are shining and they are taking all anger issues out on Ace & Peter. Extremely pathetic human behavior, CLEARLY Gene & Paul have some real serious issues going on with themselves…..& I believe it all isn’t with Ace & Peter but like I said…..they are both taking all their issues out on them. Sorry but if some disagree that’s fine but you don’t really need to be in the medical field to figure Gene & Paul’s emotional issues.—and let’s make this point clear & honest…..Gene & Paul have been hammering Ace & Peter since they both left in the very early 80’s, -Joe in The Cuse
And again…Joe in the Cuse is dead wrong. So Joe…your new to the party huh. Guess you never read all the old Rock magazines and Guitar magazines in the 80’s and 90’s where Pete (when someone bothered to even give him an interview) and Ace bashed Paul and Gene at will. The bashing started when their 25% (meal ticket) stake in the band ran out. Gene and Paul didn’t really start defending themselves until the earl 90’s at best around the Revenge era…that’s a fact.
Mental/emotional issue’s? Who’s the member that went mental on the hotel staff if his windows didn’t have tin foil on them. Who’s the member that had 20 different prescriptions for legal and non legal drugs at his beside each night, who’s the member that had to tour with a $20,000 dollar custom made case to hold all his liquor, who’s the member that had to have the road crew roll him out to the stage each night on a dolly, who’s the member who “actually” did check himself into a mental institution (or at least claims that he did with no verifiable proof), who’s the member that starts his book off with a gun in his mouth, who’s the member that refuses to answer the door to his home because he’s afraid “someone” is out to get him, who are the members that bitched and moaned because they were ONLY getting paid 2 mill to play on average about 125 shows a year which roughly averages around 16-18k show. Hell, I could on. I mean seriously though, bitching and whining because your only getting nearly 20 grand a show to play music for and hour and half…and you question who has mental or emotional issue’s. Oh and you do realize Pete and Ace didn’t have to pay any tour expenses, you know….the cost of travel by private coach, limo and jet, insurance costs from the crew to the arena’s, rental costs for the arena’s, rental costs for equipment, road crew salaries, hotel rooms, meals etc… Not one dime came out of their pocket to pay for all that…Gene and Paul don’t get paid until all those expenses are paid. All Ace and Peter had to do was get up and play for us each night (you know, the one thing Peter says is his passion yada, yada) without bitching and moaning and go home and count their money. And again…you question who has emotional issue’s. Get a clue.
Nice JB.
I think Ace and Peter would have been happy to pay tour expenses if they both got a 25% cut like the old days. Plus you better believe that with every tour expense Doc [I’m dealing if you need some] McGee would have tax loop holes and write offs to almost even it out.
When it comes to Peter’s Solo stuff I’d rather listen to his stuff than Paul’s or Gene’s, though One for all was just ok in my opinion.
As for Peter’s writing of Songs, most of what he did were Stan Pendridge written with some help from Peter here and there ; also Paul and especially Gene Loved Peter’s Gravel voice the same way they do Eric Singer’s.
Now I really AM sad for poor old G and P for all the expenses they have to pay and then have to pick up the crumbs of what is left over … let me see: 10,000 people (in one of th maller venues) who bought a ticket, average 80 $ each, 10,000 for Tommy, 10,000 for Eric, the expenses you mentioned, now how many crumbs will be left for them to pick up and starve? And that is all true for EVERY stage production of that kind out there. Nothing extraordinary to turn into an argument. What about Tommy and Eric? Do they pay for the expenses of the shows, do they buy kerosine for th jet, or do they just get paid a fixed amount of money every year?? OK, they are not whining, because as mployees (as opposed to founding members) they do not have the guts to do so.
In my opinion I think it’s sad for It to come down to this no matter how paul and gene feel about Ace and Peter they could have and should have respected what got them were they are today and it’s because of Ace and Peter and us the fan’s of the original kiss bottom line, to me Peter Paul Gene and Ace are KISS.
Seriously though folks all this drama just gets in the way of the music. I enjoy all formats of KISS, some more than others, but I could put in any KISS album and enjoy most of it. Top to bottom I would put their entire catalog against any band. The drama kills and it’s a waste of time when you could be playing music. Look what it has done to Van Halen, I love both Dave and Sammy VH but look at how many years were wasted by Eddie over god knows what. I just wanna Rock and Roll all Nite and Party Every Day! The bickering is ridiculous.
I agree, but like Van Halen & GNR, the Kiss induction sure appears to be going down as a JOKE.
Senior citizens acting liking little babies.
It’s true, you go out just like you came in………….kicking, crying, and screaming.
The hall should just show a couple tunes from live shows back in the seventies and call it good.
Either that or have Zombie play a couple tunes.
Just put differences aside for once accept the induction and see ya later.