As Kiss celebrates its 40th anniversary, Paul Stanley is set to release an autobiography — making him the last of the group’s original quartet to do so, following Peter Criss, Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons — whose 2001 book was memorably titled Kiss and Make-up.
“They talk about sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll,” Stanley says in the attached video. “Well, from the beginning, I said: ‘You can keep the drugs, just give me the sex and the rock ‘n’ roll’ — so I remember quite a bit. I was really reluctant to do an autobiography. George Orwell said that the autobiography is the most outrageous form of fiction. When you write about yourself, you tend to be at the epicenter of everything. But I’m trying to be realistic.”
Kiss, which now includes Stanley, Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, just completed a well-received tour of Australia. Next up, beginning in June, are a series of European stops — beginning in Sweden and continuing into Germany, Italy and elsewhere.
In many ways, Stanley says, he can’t believe Kiss has made it this far — having sold more than 40 million albums and revolutionized band marketing since its humble beginnings back in 1973.
“There was no precedent for this back then,” Stanley says. “No band had ever lasted that long, so I was hoping for five years. At this point, I get to grow old in front of everybody. But I’m enjoying every minute of it, every year. It’s really something spectacular. I couldn’t be more grateful.”