KISS’ PAUL STANLEY: ‘I Am Kiss.’

AZ Central had a long conversation with Kiss frontman, and leader, Paul Stanley. They talked the career, Kiss, Gene Simmons, and many other things. Let Paul do the talk. Here are some excerpts:

Being Kiss:

“Quite honestly, I can’t imagine me ever having attached to my name, ‘formerly of Kiss,'” Stanley says with a laugh. “I don’t see that because this is part of my flesh and blood. My whole life has been Kiss. I wrote ‘Firehouse’ when I was in high school. So everything led up to Kiss. I am Kiss, in the same way that everybody in the band is. This is who we are.”

Everybody in the band today, of course, is not the same as everybody in the band when ‘Alive!’ became their breakthrough album, spinning off a song that still ends every concert, ‘Rock and Roll All Nite.”

About Gene Simmons:

“I think maybe because of our backgrounds and our stock in terms of heritage or whatever,” Stanley says, “we believe in working hard for what we’re given. We’re not slackers. I also believe we’ve built a relationship on trust and a relationship on respect for each other. It doesn’t mean we haven’t fought or had our moments. But so do brothers. And I think Gene is the closest thing I’ve had to a brother. I can count on him in any situation. He’s been there for me and I will always be there for him.”

“That doesn’t negate the fact that we are very different people in how we react or respond to things. Or what we say. Do I agree with a lot of things he says or certain things he does? Of course not. Do I like certain behavior? No. But that’s not what our relationship is about. Nor does it need to be. We are different people. But at the core of it, there are some basics that are very in tune with each other. And I think the years together have only cemented us that much closer.”