04/19/2014
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04/19/2014
PAUL STANLEY ON CONNECTION TO PHANTOM
KISS lead singer opens up about connection to 'Phantom of the Opera'
From Associated Press
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley feels a strong connection to the title character of "The Phantom of the Opera," and not just because he's spent nearly 40 years onstage with his face covered in paint.
"Here's somebody who has a disfigurement that they're covering and they're trying to reach out to a woman and, as much as they want to do it, they don't know how. Well, that pretty much summed up my life, you know. Only I wasn't living in a dungeon under an opera house," Stanley said.
That's because the 62-year old musician was born with a congenital deformity that left him deaf in one ear, making it hard for him to communicate or do well in school.
The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes his long, and sometime painful, journey from his "less than optimal childhood" in New York City to the mega-success of rocking all night and partying every day with Kiss in his autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" (Harper One).
"This isn't a Kiss book. This is really a book about my life. I was steadfastly against the idea of doing it for decades, because the great George Orwell once said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction," Stanley said. "But I realized it could be inspiring to people."KISS lead singer opens up about connection to 'Phantom of the Opera'
From Associated Press
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley feels a strong connection to the title character of "The Phantom of the Opera," and not just because he's spent nearly 40 years onstage with his face covered in paint.
"Here's somebody who has a disfigurement that they're covering and they're trying to reach out to a woman and, as much as they want to do it, they don't know how. Well, that pretty much summed up my life, you know. Only I wasn't living in a dungeon under an opera house," Stanley said.
That's because the 62-year old musician was born with a congenital deformity that left him deaf in one ear, making it hard for him to communicate or do well in school.
The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes his long, and sometime painful, journey from his "less than optimal childhood" in New York City to the mega-success of rocking all night and partying every day with Kiss in his autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" (Harper One).
"This isn't a Kiss book. This is really a book about my life. I was steadfastly against the idea of doing it for decades, because the great George Orwell once said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction," Stanley said. "But I realized it could be inspiring to people."
Stanley wants to show people that despite having the deck stacked against them, it's possible to overcome adversity. But it took him a long time to do so.
"I was an angry, dysfunctional kid with a real image problem and a hearing problem that put me under constant scrutiny," Stanley said. "Growing my hair was the start of covering it up."
Stanley says stardom and wealth only masked the problem, and it wasn't until realized that the key to his own happiness was through family and friends.
Along the way, he also found a calling in a different type of stage performance when he appeared in the Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera" in 1999.
Despite his long career in one of music's hardest rocking bands, Stanley said his musical appreciation always covered a lot of ground, including being an ardent fan of musical theater.
"I grew up with a greater appreciation of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Stephen Sondheim," Stanley said. But he regards the composer of "Phantom of the Opera" above them all.
"Andrew Lloyd Webber is actually more than rock. He's much closer to, I believe, Puccini and Verdi. Some music snobs would take issue with that, but that's why we're not on the same wavelength," Stanley said.
Stanley regards his stint as the Phantom as a turning point in his career. After seeing the London company perform the show in 1988, he said it changed his life.
"I had this momentary revelation, an epiphany where I went, 'Wow, I can do that,'" he said. "And it was the same thing I did when I saw the Beatles. I was a fat little kid who couldn't play an instrument but I looked at them and said, 'I can do that.'"
Eleven years later, Stanley got a call from his agent asking if he'd be interested in auditioning for the part of the Phantom and got to play him with the Toronto company, what he calls "the hardest work I've ever done." When that ended, he went back to concentrating on his highly successful band, but gained an even greater appreciation for the art form.
After the experience of performing eight shows a week, Stanley had this to say: "Anybody in rock 'n' roll who actually complains about the discipline and the workload should actually be flipping burgers because we have a lucky, lucky life."
From Associated Press
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley feels a strong connection to the title character of "The Phantom of the Opera," and not just because he's spent nearly 40 years onstage with his face covered in paint.
"Here's somebody who has a disfigurement that they're covering and they're trying to reach out to a woman and, as much as they want to do it, they don't know how. Well, that pretty much summed up my life, you know. Only I wasn't living in a dungeon under an opera house," Stanley said.
That's because the 62-year old musician was born with a congenital deformity that left him deaf in one ear, making it hard for him to communicate or do well in school.
The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes his long, and sometime painful, journey from his "less than optimal childhood" in New York City to the mega-success of rocking all night and partying every day with Kiss in his autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" (Harper One).
"This isn't a Kiss book. This is really a book about my life. I was steadfastly against the idea of doing it for decades, because the great George Orwell once said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction," Stanley said. "But I realized it could be inspiring to people."KISS lead singer opens up about connection to 'Phantom of the Opera'
From Associated Press
Kiss frontman Paul Stanley feels a strong connection to the title character of "The Phantom of the Opera," and not just because he's spent nearly 40 years onstage with his face covered in paint.
"Here's somebody who has a disfigurement that they're covering and they're trying to reach out to a woman and, as much as they want to do it, they don't know how. Well, that pretty much summed up my life, you know. Only I wasn't living in a dungeon under an opera house," Stanley said.
That's because the 62-year old musician was born with a congenital deformity that left him deaf in one ear, making it hard for him to communicate or do well in school.
The recently inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer describes his long, and sometime painful, journey from his "less than optimal childhood" in New York City to the mega-success of rocking all night and partying every day with Kiss in his autobiography, "Face the Music: A Life Exposed" (Harper One).
"This isn't a Kiss book. This is really a book about my life. I was steadfastly against the idea of doing it for decades, because the great George Orwell once said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction," Stanley said. "But I realized it could be inspiring to people."
Stanley wants to show people that despite having the deck stacked against them, it's possible to overcome adversity. But it took him a long time to do so.
"I was an angry, dysfunctional kid with a real image problem and a hearing problem that put me under constant scrutiny," Stanley said. "Growing my hair was the start of covering it up."
Stanley says stardom and wealth only masked the problem, and it wasn't until realized that the key to his own happiness was through family and friends.
Along the way, he also found a calling in a different type of stage performance when he appeared in the Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera" in 1999.
Despite his long career in one of music's hardest rocking bands, Stanley said his musical appreciation always covered a lot of ground, including being an ardent fan of musical theater.
"I grew up with a greater appreciation of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Stephen Sondheim," Stanley said. But he regards the composer of "Phantom of the Opera" above them all.
"Andrew Lloyd Webber is actually more than rock. He's much closer to, I believe, Puccini and Verdi. Some music snobs would take issue with that, but that's why we're not on the same wavelength," Stanley said.
Stanley regards his stint as the Phantom as a turning point in his career. After seeing the London company perform the show in 1988, he said it changed his life.
"I had this momentary revelation, an epiphany where I went, 'Wow, I can do that,'" he said. "And it was the same thing I did when I saw the Beatles. I was a fat little kid who couldn't play an instrument but I looked at them and said, 'I can do that.'"
Eleven years later, Stanley got a call from his agent asking if he'd be interested in auditioning for the part of the Phantom and got to play him with the Toronto company, what he calls "the hardest work I've ever done." When that ended, he went back to concentrating on his highly successful band, but gained an even greater appreciation for the art form.
After the experience of performing eight shows a week, Stanley had this to say: "Anybody in rock 'n' roll who actually complains about the discipline and the workload should actually be flipping burgers because we have a lucky, lucky life."
04/19/2014
KISS ARMY STORMS PAUL STANLEY BOOK SIGNING
Stoy by Pat Sherman / La Jolla Light
More than 600 fans of Kiss vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley descended on La Jolla April 17 for a chance to have the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee sign copies of his new memoir, �Face the Music: A Life Exposed� at Warwick�s Bookstore.
Though people of all ages traveled from as far away as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Germany for a chance to meet the Kiss star, Anne Marie Flores merely had to walk over from her job at Best Western Inn by the Sea on Fay Avenue.
Born Stanley Bert Eisen, the 62-year-old rocker was about an hour late, giving Flores a chance to dive into the book�s prologue while waiting in line.
�I wish he�d go back on stage,� Flores said, noting Stanley�s 1999 lead in a Canadian production of �The Phantom of the Opera.� �I don�t care what it would cost � I�d pay.�
Warwick�s employee and Kiss fan Emily Vermillion of La Jolla said she was excited to learn Stanley was coming to place where she works.
�I was teaching art in Iowa City, Iowa (in the late �70s) and all of my fifth and sixth graders showed up for Halloween in Kiss costumes,� she recalled. �I said, �I�ve got to find out about these guys,� and I did � and I�ve loved them ever since.�By Pat Sherman
More than 600 fans of Kiss vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley descended on La Jolla April 17 for a chance to have the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee sign copies of his new memoir, �Face the Music: A Life Exposed� at Warwick�s Bookstore.
Though people of all ages traveled from as far away as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Germany for a chance to meet the Kiss star, Anne Marie Flores merely had to walk over from her job at Best Western Inn by the Sea on Fay Avenue.
Born Stanley Bert Eisen, the 62-year-old rocker was about an hour late, giving Flores a chance to dive into the book�s prologue while waiting in line.
�I wish he�d go back on stage,� Flores said, noting Stanley�s 1999 lead in a Canadian production of �The Phantom of the Opera.� �I don�t care what it would cost � I�d pay.�
Warwick�s employee and Kiss fan Emily Vermillion of La Jolla said she was excited to learn Stanley was coming to place where she works.
�I was teaching art in Iowa City, Iowa (in the late �70s) and all of my fifth and sixth graders showed up for Halloween in Kiss costumes,� she recalled. �I said, �I�ve got to find out about these guys,� and I did � and I�ve loved them ever since.�
Stanley took time earlier in the week to speak with the La Jolla Light about his new book, in which he recounts being born without a right ear (a condition known as microtia), his dysfunctional family and subsequently being ridiculed as a child. The book is also filled with pointed criticisms of his band mates � including alleged anti-Semitism by original Kiss members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and lying and cheating by co-founder and longtime collaborator, Gene Simmons.
�Ultimately, if you start to drown me then I have to let you go,� he said of the off-again, on-again participation of Frehley and Criss. �Kiss has always been my baby, as far as I�m concerned. � At the end of the day, I�ll do whatever I have to, to keep it moving forward and that really is the mindset that got me through a lot of very difficult times.�
Told that many in the so-called �Kiss Army� consider his 1978 solo album and Kiss�s �Dynasty� (1979) to be rock masterpieces, Stanley laughed. �Well, I�d agree with half of that,� he said. �I think �Dynasty� is a good album. I think there was some great songs on that, but I certainly am a little partial to my solo album.�
His personal favorite, he said, is the album that put Kiss on the global map � 1975�s �Alive!,� recorded at Detroit�s Cobo Hall.
�It was the giant step that put us into the international hierarchy and, honestly, the last two albums (2009�s �Sonic Boom� and 2012�s �Monster�) mean the world to me because they are built on our past and stand firmly in the present and future.�
An abstract painter who has held exhibitions in La Jolla, Stanley said he has taken a hiatus from the canvas.
�The very reason I did it in the first place was to get away from pressure, and all of the sudden I had shows every month and there was a fair amount of pressure to produce. I didn�t want that to taint something I kind of found as a refuge � but I�m certainly painting and will start doing shows again.�
With numerous hits to his name, including �Rock and Roll All Night,� �Detroit Rock City,� �I Was Made For Lovin� You� and �Hard Luck Woman� (originally penned for Rod Stewart, but ultimately recorded by Kiss and sang by Peter Criss), Stanley used his Hall of Fame induction with Kiss this month as an opportunity to call into question what many in the industry consider the organization�s jaded nomination and selection process. Stanley asserts that Rock Hall organizers, having shunned Kiss for 14 years, didn�t even provide passes for them upon their arrival.
So, how was Kiss was received by its industry peers at the induction ceremony in Brooklyn?
�Most bands, from all different genres, have really championed us,� he said. �The people who don�t understand us and have done their best to squash us are critics � and how much credence can you put in somebody�s opinion who doesn�t pay for a ticket or pay for an album? The people who I consider important were all terrific and beyond cordial, very happy about our being inducted. I see those as my peers and don�t worry about the rest.
�There�s bands that I might not necessarily embrace musically, but the numbers speak for themselves,� Stanley continued. �We�re not here to have a contest of who knows the most obscure act. If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were the �Rock and Roll Hall of Fame of the People,� it would reflect album sales; it would reflect (an artist�s) impact on other bands.�
Prior to the Rock Hall ceremony, organizers insisted that Stanley and Simmons perform in makeup with original guitarist Frehley (of San Diego) and drummer Criss, though they have long been replaced, in large part due to their well-documented excesses with drugs and alcohol. Though Frehley and Criss were for it, Stanley and Simmons declined.
�We don�t jump through hoops for anybody,� Stanley insisted. �(Rolling Stone magazine and Rock and Roll Hall founder) Jann Wenner has hated us from Day 1, has never put us on the cover (incidentally, until this month) and has chosen to ignore us as best as possible over the years, telling his writers not to write about us, and even going as low as not acknowledging an obituary for (former Kiss drummer) Eric Carr, who died of heart cancer at 40 years of age, after playing to millions of people and playing on multiplatinum albums. That�s not an oversight � it was carried by every other media. It�s just malicious and mean-spirited. So, between Jann Wenner and a burnout like (music critic) Dave Marsh � that�s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It�s just a couple of smart businessmen who may have once loved music, but now see it as an opportunity to be tastemakers. Instead of leaving the voting to the public, they hide behind this very impressive title, which they trademarked. You could have trademarked it, and then you�d be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.�
Unlike Frehley and Criss, Stanley avoided a life of drugs and alcohol, choosing exercise and fitness.
�At this point what I do religiously is a dancer�s workout called Cardio Barre,� he said. �It really revolves around dancer movements (that) are core strengthening and also incredibly toning for your body.�
If he had anything approaching a vice, Stanley said, it was sex and being a workaholic.
�That was my drug of choice. It got us all onto this Earth, it hurt nobody and it was certainly fun. There�s been no pressure for me,� he maintained. �Success is about a work ethic � and if you�re proud of what you do and you give it your best, then it�s only a matter of how hard you�re willing to work before you succeed.�
Asked if Kiss would be willing to play at La Jolla Cove or the Children�s Pool (the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act allows for the use of loud noise to disperse seals and sea lions, and the latter�s smell), Stanley said it�s possible.
�We could just call the program, �Sealed with a Kiss,� � he quipped.
More than 600 fans of Kiss vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley descended on La Jolla April 17 for a chance to have the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee sign copies of his new memoir, �Face the Music: A Life Exposed� at Warwick�s Bookstore.
Though people of all ages traveled from as far away as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Germany for a chance to meet the Kiss star, Anne Marie Flores merely had to walk over from her job at Best Western Inn by the Sea on Fay Avenue.
Born Stanley Bert Eisen, the 62-year-old rocker was about an hour late, giving Flores a chance to dive into the book�s prologue while waiting in line.
�I wish he�d go back on stage,� Flores said, noting Stanley�s 1999 lead in a Canadian production of �The Phantom of the Opera.� �I don�t care what it would cost � I�d pay.�
Warwick�s employee and Kiss fan Emily Vermillion of La Jolla said she was excited to learn Stanley was coming to place where she works.
�I was teaching art in Iowa City, Iowa (in the late �70s) and all of my fifth and sixth graders showed up for Halloween in Kiss costumes,� she recalled. �I said, �I�ve got to find out about these guys,� and I did � and I�ve loved them ever since.�By Pat Sherman
More than 600 fans of Kiss vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley descended on La Jolla April 17 for a chance to have the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee sign copies of his new memoir, �Face the Music: A Life Exposed� at Warwick�s Bookstore.
Though people of all ages traveled from as far away as Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Germany for a chance to meet the Kiss star, Anne Marie Flores merely had to walk over from her job at Best Western Inn by the Sea on Fay Avenue.
Born Stanley Bert Eisen, the 62-year-old rocker was about an hour late, giving Flores a chance to dive into the book�s prologue while waiting in line.
�I wish he�d go back on stage,� Flores said, noting Stanley�s 1999 lead in a Canadian production of �The Phantom of the Opera.� �I don�t care what it would cost � I�d pay.�
Warwick�s employee and Kiss fan Emily Vermillion of La Jolla said she was excited to learn Stanley was coming to place where she works.
�I was teaching art in Iowa City, Iowa (in the late �70s) and all of my fifth and sixth graders showed up for Halloween in Kiss costumes,� she recalled. �I said, �I�ve got to find out about these guys,� and I did � and I�ve loved them ever since.�
Stanley took time earlier in the week to speak with the La Jolla Light about his new book, in which he recounts being born without a right ear (a condition known as microtia), his dysfunctional family and subsequently being ridiculed as a child. The book is also filled with pointed criticisms of his band mates � including alleged anti-Semitism by original Kiss members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, and lying and cheating by co-founder and longtime collaborator, Gene Simmons.
�Ultimately, if you start to drown me then I have to let you go,� he said of the off-again, on-again participation of Frehley and Criss. �Kiss has always been my baby, as far as I�m concerned. � At the end of the day, I�ll do whatever I have to, to keep it moving forward and that really is the mindset that got me through a lot of very difficult times.�
Told that many in the so-called �Kiss Army� consider his 1978 solo album and Kiss�s �Dynasty� (1979) to be rock masterpieces, Stanley laughed. �Well, I�d agree with half of that,� he said. �I think �Dynasty� is a good album. I think there was some great songs on that, but I certainly am a little partial to my solo album.�
His personal favorite, he said, is the album that put Kiss on the global map � 1975�s �Alive!,� recorded at Detroit�s Cobo Hall.
�It was the giant step that put us into the international hierarchy and, honestly, the last two albums (2009�s �Sonic Boom� and 2012�s �Monster�) mean the world to me because they are built on our past and stand firmly in the present and future.�
An abstract painter who has held exhibitions in La Jolla, Stanley said he has taken a hiatus from the canvas.
�The very reason I did it in the first place was to get away from pressure, and all of the sudden I had shows every month and there was a fair amount of pressure to produce. I didn�t want that to taint something I kind of found as a refuge � but I�m certainly painting and will start doing shows again.�
With numerous hits to his name, including �Rock and Roll All Night,� �Detroit Rock City,� �I Was Made For Lovin� You� and �Hard Luck Woman� (originally penned for Rod Stewart, but ultimately recorded by Kiss and sang by Peter Criss), Stanley used his Hall of Fame induction with Kiss this month as an opportunity to call into question what many in the industry consider the organization�s jaded nomination and selection process. Stanley asserts that Rock Hall organizers, having shunned Kiss for 14 years, didn�t even provide passes for them upon their arrival.
So, how was Kiss was received by its industry peers at the induction ceremony in Brooklyn?
�Most bands, from all different genres, have really championed us,� he said. �The people who don�t understand us and have done their best to squash us are critics � and how much credence can you put in somebody�s opinion who doesn�t pay for a ticket or pay for an album? The people who I consider important were all terrific and beyond cordial, very happy about our being inducted. I see those as my peers and don�t worry about the rest.
�There�s bands that I might not necessarily embrace musically, but the numbers speak for themselves,� Stanley continued. �We�re not here to have a contest of who knows the most obscure act. If the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were the �Rock and Roll Hall of Fame of the People,� it would reflect album sales; it would reflect (an artist�s) impact on other bands.�
Prior to the Rock Hall ceremony, organizers insisted that Stanley and Simmons perform in makeup with original guitarist Frehley (of San Diego) and drummer Criss, though they have long been replaced, in large part due to their well-documented excesses with drugs and alcohol. Though Frehley and Criss were for it, Stanley and Simmons declined.
�We don�t jump through hoops for anybody,� Stanley insisted. �(Rolling Stone magazine and Rock and Roll Hall founder) Jann Wenner has hated us from Day 1, has never put us on the cover (incidentally, until this month) and has chosen to ignore us as best as possible over the years, telling his writers not to write about us, and even going as low as not acknowledging an obituary for (former Kiss drummer) Eric Carr, who died of heart cancer at 40 years of age, after playing to millions of people and playing on multiplatinum albums. That�s not an oversight � it was carried by every other media. It�s just malicious and mean-spirited. So, between Jann Wenner and a burnout like (music critic) Dave Marsh � that�s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It�s just a couple of smart businessmen who may have once loved music, but now see it as an opportunity to be tastemakers. Instead of leaving the voting to the public, they hide behind this very impressive title, which they trademarked. You could have trademarked it, and then you�d be the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.�
Unlike Frehley and Criss, Stanley avoided a life of drugs and alcohol, choosing exercise and fitness.
�At this point what I do religiously is a dancer�s workout called Cardio Barre,� he said. �It really revolves around dancer movements (that) are core strengthening and also incredibly toning for your body.�
If he had anything approaching a vice, Stanley said, it was sex and being a workaholic.
�That was my drug of choice. It got us all onto this Earth, it hurt nobody and it was certainly fun. There�s been no pressure for me,� he maintained. �Success is about a work ethic � and if you�re proud of what you do and you give it your best, then it�s only a matter of how hard you�re willing to work before you succeed.�
Asked if Kiss would be willing to play at La Jolla Cove or the Children�s Pool (the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act allows for the use of loud noise to disperse seals and sea lions, and the latter�s smell), Stanley said it�s possible.
�We could just call the program, �Sealed with a Kiss,� � he quipped.
04/18/2014
FACE THE MUSIC DEBUTS AT #2 ON NY TIMES!
04/18/2014
BRUCE KULICK REFLECTS ON KISS HALL INDUCTION
Former KISS Guitarist Bruce Kulick Reflects on Band's Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Written by Eric Shirey / cinelinx
KISS was recently inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame after forty years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. Unlike other bands, not all of their current and former associates were asked to share the honor. The Hall of Fame only awarded original members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss in the ceremony which took place on April 10, 2014.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were enraged by the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame's decision and refused to perform at the event. How could thirty years of hit records and songs still being played in their concert sets just be ignored? Not only were the two founding members of KISS irritated by this, but many fans of the band's music past their early makeup days were as well.
We've heard from the original four founders of KISS in regards to how they feel about their induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame through countless publications and online blogs. However, what do the former members of the band think about being ignored by the institution?
Two of the group's previous warriors from the 1980s and 1990s are no longer with us. "Animalize" lead guitarist Mark St. John passed away in 2007. Drummer Eric Carr lost his battle with heart cancer in 1991. He wrote and performed with KISS from 1981 to 1991. Carr replaced Peter Criss and donned fox makeup for his stage persona.Former KISS Guitarist Bruce Kulick Reflects on Band's Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Written by Eric Shirey / cinelinx
KISS was recently inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame after forty years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. Unlike other bands, not all of their current and former associates were asked to share the honor. The Hall of Fame only awarded original members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss in the ceremony which took place on April 10, 2014.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were enraged by the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame's decision and refused to perform at the event. How could thirty years of hit records and songs still being played in their concert sets just be ignored? Not only were the two founding members of KISS irritated by this, but many fans of the band's music past their early makeup days were as well.
We've heard from the original four founders of KISS in regards to how they feel about their induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame through countless publications and online blogs. However, what do the former members of the band think about being ignored by the institution?
Two of the group's previous warriors from the 1980s and 1990s are no longer with us. "Animalize" lead guitarist Mark St. John passed away in 2007. Drummer Eric Carr lost his battle with heart cancer in 1991. He wrote and performed with KISS from 1981 to 1991. Carr replaced Peter Criss and donned fox makeup for his stage persona.
Besides Vinnie Vincent, that leaves only one other member not recognized by the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. Former KISS lead guitarist Bruce Kulick joined the band in 1984 and collaborated with them until 1996. In his twelve years with the band, he recorded five studio albums and two live records. The reunited four members of KISS and the current incarnation played "Tears are Falling," "Crazy, Crazy Nights," and "Unholy." These are all songs Kulick played lead guitar on and contributed to.
I caught up with Bruce Kulick after the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame and thought KISS fans might be interested in his take on the induction and how he feels to see the band recognized by receiving such a prestigious award. He was more than happy to share his emotions and reactions.
It's such a great honor to be a part of a band that's as legendary as KISS. I asked Kulick to share with me how that excitement runs through your veins.
"It has been a roller-coaster ride for me emotionally from the day it was announced KISS was finally being inducted. Would I be included or forgotten? Will I get to play? How will the originals deal with each other? I feel elated about the entire affair now that it is done and I got my due respect from the podium being mentioned three times," the lead guitarist proclaimed.
Founding KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons put up such a fight to get every member of the band inducted. When asked how he reacted to seeing the two stand up for the former collaborators of the group to be recognized, Kulick responded,
"It was so important to me that the forty years of KISS was being triumphed by Paul and Gene. It was wonderful reading an email from Paul around the holidays late last year where he explained that he always appreciated my contributions from my era. He was well aware of the twelve years of success. We all became reflective about the history of KISS during that time. Gene and Paul were extremely vocal of everyone understanding KISS now and KISS from my era."
Previous personnel from other bands have been inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame alongside their founding members. Kulick shared his view on the exclusion of KISS alumni.
"It was total BS for the RNRHOF to do the name game and to, in some ways, punish KISS for all those years of success. I am not foolish to think without the magic the original four created that KISS could exist past that. To ignore the importance of the years to follow with Eric Carr, myself, and the continued success with Eric and Tommy is arrogant to me. We know with all the other bands, that ALL members were inducted. The HOF hates KISS and didn't give a damn about the true history of the band. BUT, the fans know!"
Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss all took the stage on April 10 and were allowed to say thanks to their fans and families. I was curious as to what Bruce Kulick's acceptance speech would sound like.
"I really don't know! I know besides thanking my family, friends and the fans I would say when I was doing my thing in the group those twelve years, looking back, I didn't realize how important it truly was in the big picture of this amazing band. I am very grateful I did my best," he replied.
Bruce Kulick is an important part of KISStory and has gone on to play in Grand Funk Railroad, Union, ESP (Eric Singer Project), and the solo albums of both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. There's no denying the impact he had on KISS's music and their stage presence in the 1980s and 1990s. In closing, I asked Kulick what he considered his biggest achievement to be while playing with the band.
"Some of my favorite solos are 'Tears Are Falling,' 'Crazy Nights,' 'Forever,' 'Unholy,' and others. Solos that are memorable are important. Naturally I always preferred my guitar to do the talking when it came to KISS. Gene and Paul certainly know how to do the talking about the band!"
Written by Eric Shirey / cinelinx
KISS was recently inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame after forty years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. Unlike other bands, not all of their current and former associates were asked to share the honor. The Hall of Fame only awarded original members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss in the ceremony which took place on April 10, 2014.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were enraged by the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame's decision and refused to perform at the event. How could thirty years of hit records and songs still being played in their concert sets just be ignored? Not only were the two founding members of KISS irritated by this, but many fans of the band's music past their early makeup days were as well.
We've heard from the original four founders of KISS in regards to how they feel about their induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame through countless publications and online blogs. However, what do the former members of the band think about being ignored by the institution?
Two of the group's previous warriors from the 1980s and 1990s are no longer with us. "Animalize" lead guitarist Mark St. John passed away in 2007. Drummer Eric Carr lost his battle with heart cancer in 1991. He wrote and performed with KISS from 1981 to 1991. Carr replaced Peter Criss and donned fox makeup for his stage persona.Former KISS Guitarist Bruce Kulick Reflects on Band's Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame Induction
Written by Eric Shirey / cinelinx
KISS was recently inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame after forty years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. Unlike other bands, not all of their current and former associates were asked to share the honor. The Hall of Fame only awarded original members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss in the ceremony which took place on April 10, 2014.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were enraged by the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame's decision and refused to perform at the event. How could thirty years of hit records and songs still being played in their concert sets just be ignored? Not only were the two founding members of KISS irritated by this, but many fans of the band's music past their early makeup days were as well.
We've heard from the original four founders of KISS in regards to how they feel about their induction into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame through countless publications and online blogs. However, what do the former members of the band think about being ignored by the institution?
Two of the group's previous warriors from the 1980s and 1990s are no longer with us. "Animalize" lead guitarist Mark St. John passed away in 2007. Drummer Eric Carr lost his battle with heart cancer in 1991. He wrote and performed with KISS from 1981 to 1991. Carr replaced Peter Criss and donned fox makeup for his stage persona.
Besides Vinnie Vincent, that leaves only one other member not recognized by the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame. Former KISS lead guitarist Bruce Kulick joined the band in 1984 and collaborated with them until 1996. In his twelve years with the band, he recorded five studio albums and two live records. The reunited four members of KISS and the current incarnation played "Tears are Falling," "Crazy, Crazy Nights," and "Unholy." These are all songs Kulick played lead guitar on and contributed to.
I caught up with Bruce Kulick after the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame and thought KISS fans might be interested in his take on the induction and how he feels to see the band recognized by receiving such a prestigious award. He was more than happy to share his emotions and reactions.
It's such a great honor to be a part of a band that's as legendary as KISS. I asked Kulick to share with me how that excitement runs through your veins.
"It has been a roller-coaster ride for me emotionally from the day it was announced KISS was finally being inducted. Would I be included or forgotten? Will I get to play? How will the originals deal with each other? I feel elated about the entire affair now that it is done and I got my due respect from the podium being mentioned three times," the lead guitarist proclaimed.
Founding KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons put up such a fight to get every member of the band inducted. When asked how he reacted to seeing the two stand up for the former collaborators of the group to be recognized, Kulick responded,
"It was so important to me that the forty years of KISS was being triumphed by Paul and Gene. It was wonderful reading an email from Paul around the holidays late last year where he explained that he always appreciated my contributions from my era. He was well aware of the twelve years of success. We all became reflective about the history of KISS during that time. Gene and Paul were extremely vocal of everyone understanding KISS now and KISS from my era."
Previous personnel from other bands have been inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame alongside their founding members. Kulick shared his view on the exclusion of KISS alumni.
"It was total BS for the RNRHOF to do the name game and to, in some ways, punish KISS for all those years of success. I am not foolish to think without the magic the original four created that KISS could exist past that. To ignore the importance of the years to follow with Eric Carr, myself, and the continued success with Eric and Tommy is arrogant to me. We know with all the other bands, that ALL members were inducted. The HOF hates KISS and didn't give a damn about the true history of the band. BUT, the fans know!"
Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss all took the stage on April 10 and were allowed to say thanks to their fans and families. I was curious as to what Bruce Kulick's acceptance speech would sound like.
"I really don't know! I know besides thanking my family, friends and the fans I would say when I was doing my thing in the group those twelve years, looking back, I didn't realize how important it truly was in the big picture of this amazing band. I am very grateful I did my best," he replied.
Bruce Kulick is an important part of KISStory and has gone on to play in Grand Funk Railroad, Union, ESP (Eric Singer Project), and the solo albums of both Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. There's no denying the impact he had on KISS's music and their stage presence in the 1980s and 1990s. In closing, I asked Kulick what he considered his biggest achievement to be while playing with the band.
"Some of my favorite solos are 'Tears Are Falling,' 'Crazy Nights,' 'Forever,' 'Unholy,' and others. Solos that are memorable are important. Naturally I always preferred my guitar to do the talking when it came to KISS. Gene and Paul certainly know how to do the talking about the band!"
04/18/2014
PAUL STANLEY ON OVERCOMING HIS DEMONS
04/18/2014
LA KISS SIGHTING: SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL
Check out this cool LA KISS sighting in yesterday's Sports Business Journal!
04/17/2014
PAUL STANLEY FACES THE MUSIC, DROPS THE MASK
By ALAN K. STOUT / MUSIC ON THE MENU
There�s a perception that a �biography� can be more revealing than an �autobiography.� A biography, some say, will offer more insight because the subject of the book will be more highly scrutinized, while with an autobiography, the reader will only get what the subject wants you to know. With an autobiography, the author - writing in the first person about their own life - will naturally try to paint themselves in the most positive light. And really, if you were going to write a book about your time on this earth, who wouldn�t want to do that?
But as a reader, I�ll still take an autobiography over a biography any day. The best source to tell your story is you, and with �Face The Music: A Life Exposed,� KISS frontman Paul Stanley truly unmasks for the very first time. It�s a remarkable and inspiring story, and offers much more than simply further projecting the bold mage of �The Starchild,� who can still have 20,000 people in a sold-out arena responding to the snap of his fingers. Sure, we�ve all known what Paul Stanley looks like since 1983, when KISS officially unmasked from its trademark makeup. But the perceived image of Paul Stanley as the gallivant rock star and the true life of the man himself were, for most of his life, about as different as KISS �Alive!� and �Music From The Elder.�
Perception was not reality.
Stanley, his text reveals, was born with a condition known as microtia, which left him with only one ear and deaf on one side. And though, by the late �60s, as he grew older and it was fashionably acceptable, he was able to hide the deformity by growing his hair, that was not the case when he was a child. And that made life very difficult. There was relentless teasing from other children, which shockingly, was met with little support from his parents, who were bogged down in a cold marriage and also had a mentally ill daughter to deal with. This left him feeling isolated - a feeling that would stay with him until much later in life.By ALAN K. STOUT / MUSIC ON THE MENU
There�s a perception that a �biography� can be more revealing than an �autobiography.� A biography, some say, will offer more insight because the subject of the book will be more highly scrutinized, while with an autobiography, the reader will only get what the subject wants you to know. With an autobiography, the author - writing in the first person about their own life - will naturally try to paint themselves in the most positive light. And really, if you were going to write a book about your time on this earth, who wouldn�t want to do that?
But as a reader, I�ll still take an autobiography over a biography any day. The best source to tell your story is you, and with �Face The Music: A Life Exposed,� KISS frontman Paul Stanley truly unmasks for the very first time. It�s a remarkable and inspiring story, and offers much more than simply further projecting the bold mage of �The Starchild,� who can still have 20,000 people in a sold-out arena responding to the snap of his fingers. Sure, we�ve all known what Paul Stanley looks like since 1983, when KISS officially unmasked from its trademark makeup. But the perceived image of Paul Stanley as the gallivant rock star and the true life of the man himself were, for most of his life, about as different as KISS �Alive!� and �Music From The Elder.�
Perception was not reality.
Stanley, his text reveals, was born with a condition known as microtia, which left him with only one ear and deaf on one side. And though, by the late �60s, as he grew older and it was fashionably acceptable, he was able to hide the deformity by growing his hair, that was not the case when he was a child. And that made life very difficult. There was relentless teasing from other children, which shockingly, was met with little support from his parents, who were bogged down in a cold marriage and also had a mentally ill daughter to deal with. This left him feeling isolated - a feeling that would stay with him until much later in life.
Of course, there are also plenty of interesting stories about KISS, the band he helped found and that went on to become one of the most successful rock groups of all-time. Stanley is the last of the original members of KISS to pen an autobiography, and like Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, he doesn�t hold anything back in sharing his perception of his bandmates. And though the disconnect he feels with Frehley and Criss was well known prior to the publication of the book, the text reveals, for the first time, some keen insight into his relationship with Simmons. Though they�ve remained musical and business partners for more than 40 years and Stanley sees Simmons as a brother, they too have had their ups and downs, which Stanley - again for the first time - describes in some detail.
With any book dealing with KISS � especially one written by the band�s greatest sex symbol - you�d also expect some stories about sex, and though Stanley talks about a few ex-lovers and groupies, he�s too much the gentleman and probably too respectful to his family today to take you right between the sheets. One interesting tidbit he does share is that his first sexual experiences came when he was about 17 and were with much older women from his Queens neighborhood. The Starchild, we learn, had himself a �Mrs. Robinson� and a �Maggie May.� Actresses Donna Dixon and Lisa Hartman are noted as significant others who had stepped into his life, and it was on a date with British pop star and pinup girl Samantha Fox that he first saw the theatrical production of �Phantom of The Opera.� This would later have a tremendous impact on his life.
Stanley also talks about the frustrations of his first marriage, which he admits he rushed into as he approached the age of 40, and he shares the joys of his second marriage to his wife, Erin. She, and his four children, are the centerpiece of his life.
Throughout the book�s 456 pages, Stanley weaves effortlessly between tales of his personal and professional life. The stories about KISS are plentiful, and it�s fascinating to read his accounts of some of the most memorable moments in the band�s career. In doing so, he gives plenty of praise to those who helped launch that career, and when he feels necessary, properly deflects credit that he and Simmons sometimes get and that he feels is undeserved. He admits the band made some mistakes in handling the illness of drummer Eric Carr, who died of cancer in 1991, and he shares his frustrations with the band�s record label, particularly in the �80s. (Seriously, how could �Reason To Live,� from 1987, not have been a Top-40 hit? That�s me asking. Not Stanley.) Fans here in Northeastern Pennsylvania will find humor in a story he shares about a 1974 show at The Paramount Theater in Wilkes-Barre (now the F.M. Kirby Center) and he talks candidly about how it didn�t take long after the band�s triumphant 1996 reunion tour with its original members for things to become unglued.
But again, it�s the unmasking of the playboy rock star image and his telling of how the scars of a tormented childhood stayed with him for decades that is most interesting. He tells the story of KISS playing a concert at Madison Square Garden in 1977, but rather than taking home some groupie after the show or partying with his bandmates, he went to a deli on 36th street and had some soup. Alone.
Stanley�s search for inner happiness, he reveals, didn�t really end until he was in fifties.
It was in 1999 during his starring role in the Toronto production of �Phantom of The Opera� that things began to change. Though he�d had plastic surgery in the �80s to help correct his ear deformity, he still felt a strong connection to the play�s maimed central character. A woman who�d seen his performance and knew nothing about his own prior condition wrote to him, saying she �had the impression I identified with the character in a way she hadn�t seen with other actors.� She then asked him to get involved with AboutFace, an organization that helps children with facial differences cope with their situations. Stunned by her astute observation about him, he reached out to her, got involved with AboutFace, and in many ways, helped transform his life. Helping others helped him heal. That, and the love for his wife, his children that he adores, and the strength of a revamped KISS, has brought Stanley to where he is today: a happy man, comfortable in his own skin.
In 1978, KISS� original members all released solo albums on the same day. It was an unprecedented move in the record business. In the case of their respective autobiographies, they spread the releases out over a 12 year period, with Stanley�s coming last. And though he�s admitted he was always the most reluctant to do so, with �Face The Music: A Life Exposed� it is he that probably revealed the most.
There�s a perception that a �biography� can be more revealing than an �autobiography.� A biography, some say, will offer more insight because the subject of the book will be more highly scrutinized, while with an autobiography, the reader will only get what the subject wants you to know. With an autobiography, the author - writing in the first person about their own life - will naturally try to paint themselves in the most positive light. And really, if you were going to write a book about your time on this earth, who wouldn�t want to do that?
But as a reader, I�ll still take an autobiography over a biography any day. The best source to tell your story is you, and with �Face The Music: A Life Exposed,� KISS frontman Paul Stanley truly unmasks for the very first time. It�s a remarkable and inspiring story, and offers much more than simply further projecting the bold mage of �The Starchild,� who can still have 20,000 people in a sold-out arena responding to the snap of his fingers. Sure, we�ve all known what Paul Stanley looks like since 1983, when KISS officially unmasked from its trademark makeup. But the perceived image of Paul Stanley as the gallivant rock star and the true life of the man himself were, for most of his life, about as different as KISS �Alive!� and �Music From The Elder.�
Perception was not reality.
Stanley, his text reveals, was born with a condition known as microtia, which left him with only one ear and deaf on one side. And though, by the late �60s, as he grew older and it was fashionably acceptable, he was able to hide the deformity by growing his hair, that was not the case when he was a child. And that made life very difficult. There was relentless teasing from other children, which shockingly, was met with little support from his parents, who were bogged down in a cold marriage and also had a mentally ill daughter to deal with. This left him feeling isolated - a feeling that would stay with him until much later in life.By ALAN K. STOUT / MUSIC ON THE MENU
There�s a perception that a �biography� can be more revealing than an �autobiography.� A biography, some say, will offer more insight because the subject of the book will be more highly scrutinized, while with an autobiography, the reader will only get what the subject wants you to know. With an autobiography, the author - writing in the first person about their own life - will naturally try to paint themselves in the most positive light. And really, if you were going to write a book about your time on this earth, who wouldn�t want to do that?
But as a reader, I�ll still take an autobiography over a biography any day. The best source to tell your story is you, and with �Face The Music: A Life Exposed,� KISS frontman Paul Stanley truly unmasks for the very first time. It�s a remarkable and inspiring story, and offers much more than simply further projecting the bold mage of �The Starchild,� who can still have 20,000 people in a sold-out arena responding to the snap of his fingers. Sure, we�ve all known what Paul Stanley looks like since 1983, when KISS officially unmasked from its trademark makeup. But the perceived image of Paul Stanley as the gallivant rock star and the true life of the man himself were, for most of his life, about as different as KISS �Alive!� and �Music From The Elder.�
Perception was not reality.
Stanley, his text reveals, was born with a condition known as microtia, which left him with only one ear and deaf on one side. And though, by the late �60s, as he grew older and it was fashionably acceptable, he was able to hide the deformity by growing his hair, that was not the case when he was a child. And that made life very difficult. There was relentless teasing from other children, which shockingly, was met with little support from his parents, who were bogged down in a cold marriage and also had a mentally ill daughter to deal with. This left him feeling isolated - a feeling that would stay with him until much later in life.
Of course, there are also plenty of interesting stories about KISS, the band he helped found and that went on to become one of the most successful rock groups of all-time. Stanley is the last of the original members of KISS to pen an autobiography, and like Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, he doesn�t hold anything back in sharing his perception of his bandmates. And though the disconnect he feels with Frehley and Criss was well known prior to the publication of the book, the text reveals, for the first time, some keen insight into his relationship with Simmons. Though they�ve remained musical and business partners for more than 40 years and Stanley sees Simmons as a brother, they too have had their ups and downs, which Stanley - again for the first time - describes in some detail.
With any book dealing with KISS � especially one written by the band�s greatest sex symbol - you�d also expect some stories about sex, and though Stanley talks about a few ex-lovers and groupies, he�s too much the gentleman and probably too respectful to his family today to take you right between the sheets. One interesting tidbit he does share is that his first sexual experiences came when he was about 17 and were with much older women from his Queens neighborhood. The Starchild, we learn, had himself a �Mrs. Robinson� and a �Maggie May.� Actresses Donna Dixon and Lisa Hartman are noted as significant others who had stepped into his life, and it was on a date with British pop star and pinup girl Samantha Fox that he first saw the theatrical production of �Phantom of The Opera.� This would later have a tremendous impact on his life.
Stanley also talks about the frustrations of his first marriage, which he admits he rushed into as he approached the age of 40, and he shares the joys of his second marriage to his wife, Erin. She, and his four children, are the centerpiece of his life.
Throughout the book�s 456 pages, Stanley weaves effortlessly between tales of his personal and professional life. The stories about KISS are plentiful, and it�s fascinating to read his accounts of some of the most memorable moments in the band�s career. In doing so, he gives plenty of praise to those who helped launch that career, and when he feels necessary, properly deflects credit that he and Simmons sometimes get and that he feels is undeserved. He admits the band made some mistakes in handling the illness of drummer Eric Carr, who died of cancer in 1991, and he shares his frustrations with the band�s record label, particularly in the �80s. (Seriously, how could �Reason To Live,� from 1987, not have been a Top-40 hit? That�s me asking. Not Stanley.) Fans here in Northeastern Pennsylvania will find humor in a story he shares about a 1974 show at The Paramount Theater in Wilkes-Barre (now the F.M. Kirby Center) and he talks candidly about how it didn�t take long after the band�s triumphant 1996 reunion tour with its original members for things to become unglued.
But again, it�s the unmasking of the playboy rock star image and his telling of how the scars of a tormented childhood stayed with him for decades that is most interesting. He tells the story of KISS playing a concert at Madison Square Garden in 1977, but rather than taking home some groupie after the show or partying with his bandmates, he went to a deli on 36th street and had some soup. Alone.
Stanley�s search for inner happiness, he reveals, didn�t really end until he was in fifties.
It was in 1999 during his starring role in the Toronto production of �Phantom of The Opera� that things began to change. Though he�d had plastic surgery in the �80s to help correct his ear deformity, he still felt a strong connection to the play�s maimed central character. A woman who�d seen his performance and knew nothing about his own prior condition wrote to him, saying she �had the impression I identified with the character in a way she hadn�t seen with other actors.� She then asked him to get involved with AboutFace, an organization that helps children with facial differences cope with their situations. Stunned by her astute observation about him, he reached out to her, got involved with AboutFace, and in many ways, helped transform his life. Helping others helped him heal. That, and the love for his wife, his children that he adores, and the strength of a revamped KISS, has brought Stanley to where he is today: a happy man, comfortable in his own skin.
In 1978, KISS� original members all released solo albums on the same day. It was an unprecedented move in the record business. In the case of their respective autobiographies, they spread the releases out over a 12 year period, with Stanley�s coming last. And though he�s admitted he was always the most reluctant to do so, with �Face The Music: A Life Exposed� it is he that probably revealed the most.
04/17/2014
PHOTOS: FACE THE MUSIC SIGNING AT THE GROVE
04/16/2014
SUBMIT YOUR IDEA FOR THE KISS 40th ANNIVERSARY
