Dimitrios Kambouris

Graham Hartmann | Loudwire

Throughout the decades, KISS have experienced a few lineup changes, but guitarist / vocalist Paul Stanley and bassist / vocalist Gene Simmons have remained constant. Though many fans see the duo as irreplaceable, Stanley recently said that he’d like KISS to continue on even after he’s retired.

During an interview with Brisbane, Australia radio station 4KQ, Stanley was asked if he believes Simmons and himself are irreplaceable. “Well, I can see KISS without Gene. [Laughs] As much as I’m a big fan of what I do and think I do it really well, I didn’t invent the wheel,” Stanley says. “Somebody is out there who can come in and take my place, and at some point, I don’t see a reason for the band to fold anymore than I can see a reason for a team to fold.”

Stanley also discussed KISS owning the legendary makeup originally worn by guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. “Years ago, the original guys basically sold it off for, you know, not a whole lot, because they didn’t think it was worth anything,” Stanley says. “Quite honestly, I’ve always thought that our image and what we represent is priceless. It didn’t matter to some other people, it truly matters to me. So, that being said, Eric Singer I’ve known 26 years and I think he’s been in the band for decades. And Tommy [Thayer / guitar] has been around the band for decades and has been in the band probably 12 or 13 years. I have to say KISS is somewhat like a football team, or an army. If somebody falls by the wayside, somebody else picks up the flag and runs.”

However, Frehley has claimed he still owns his signature makeup in various interviews. “All the makeups for each character are trademarked; they were trademarked many years ago,” says the guitarist. “And my attorney told me that I license my makeup to KISS and they pay me a royalty for that. I license it to Paul and Gene, so they can do whatever they want with it, as long as they pay me.”