Wikipedia

Paul Stanley

This article is about the musician. For other people with this name, seePaul Stanley (disambiguation).

Paul Stanley(bornStanley Bert Eisen;January 20, 1952)[1]is an American musician who was the co-founder, frontman, rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock bandKissfrom the band's inception in 1973 to their retirement in 2023. He was the writer or co-writer of many of the band's most popular songs. Stanley establishedThe Starchildcharacter for his Kiss persona. Stanley was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 2014 as a member of Kiss.

Paul Stanley
Stanley at a concert in January 2010
Born
Stanley Bert Eisen

(1952-01-20)January 20, 1952(age 72)
New York City,U.S.
Other namesThe Starchild
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active1970–present
Spouses
  • Pamela Bowen
    ​
    ​
    (m.1992;div.2001)​
  • Erin Sutton
    ​
    (m.2005)​
Children4
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Member of
  • Paul Stanley's Soul Station
Formerly of
Websitepaulstanley.com

In 2006,Hit Paraderranked him 18th on their list of the Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.[2]A Gibson.com readers' poll in 2010 named him 13th on their list of Top 25 Frontmen.[3]

Early life

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Stanley Bert Eisen was raised in upperManhattan,New York City, 211th Street and Broadway.[4]Both of his parents were Jewish. He was the younger of two children; his sister Julia[5]is two years older. Their mother Eva Jontof-Hutter[6]came from a family that fledNazi GermanyforAmsterdam,the Netherlands, and then to New York City. His father William Eisen's parents Rebecca and Harry Eisenhandler were from Poland.[7]Stanley was raised Jewish, although he did not consider his family very observant and did not celebrate hisbar mitzvah.[8]His parents listened to classical music andlight opera;Stanley was greatly moved byBeethoven's works.

Since Stanley's right ear was misshapen from a birth defect calledmicrotiaand he was unable to hear on that side, he found it difficult to determine the direction of a sound, and was unable to understand speech in a noisy environment.[9]AttendingPS 98,he was taunted by other children for his deformed ear.[10]

Despite his hearing problem, Stanley enjoyed listening to music, and he watchedAmerican Bandstandon television. His favorite musical artists includedEddie Cochran,Dion and the Belmonts,Jerry Lee LewisandLittle Richard.Stanley learned to sing harmony with his family, and he was given a child's guitar at age seven.[11][12]

Stanley's family relocated to theKew Gardensneighborhood inQueensin 1960.[13]He listened to a lot ofdoo-wopmusic, but whenthe Beatlesandthe Rolling Stonesplayed on U.S. television he was inspired by the performance aspect, which he thought was not out of his reach. Stanley received his first real guitar at age 13, an acoustic one that he would have preferred to be electric. He played tunes byBob Dylan,the Byrds,the Lovin' Spoonfuland more.[11]

All through his childhood Stanley had been recognized for his talent in graphic arts, so he attended theHigh School of Music & Artin New York City, graduating in 1970.[14]

Kiss

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Main article:Kiss (band)
Stanley's Starchild make-up

Before Kiss, Stanley was in a local band, Rainbow,[15]and was a member of Uncle Joe and Post War Baby Boom. Through a mutual friend ofGene Simmons,Stanley joined Simmons' bandWicked Lesterin the early 1970s. The band recorded an album in 1972, but it was never officially released. Wicked Lester fell apart and Stanley and Simmons answeredPeter Criss's advertisement inRolling Stone.[16][17][18]Soon after recruiting Criss, they held auditions for a lead guitarist, with Stanley placing an ad in theVillage Voice.Ace Frehleywon the group over with his playing, and was nearly a perfect fit to the group's sound. Kiss released theirself-titled debut albumin February 1974.

At this point, Stanley had the idea of changing his name not only for marketing purposes but also the fact he had always hated his birth name. Inspired byPaul McCartneyandPaul Rodgers,he legally changed his name to Paul Stanley.[19][20]

Stanley's persona in Kiss was "the Starchild" displaying one star over his right eye. For a brief time, Stanley tried out a new character "the Bandit", with a "Lone Ranger"style mask design make-up pattern. This make-up design was used during a few 1973–74 shows and photo-shoots, some of which he was photographed with both designs in the same session." I even tried painting my face all red, "he admitted." I looked like a longhaired tomato! Before settling on the star, I'd just paint a black ring around my eye… Each of us wears something that reflects who we are. I always loved stars and always identified with them – so, when it came time to put something on my face, I knew it would be a star. "[21]

Stanley performing and singing "Love Gun"in Montreal, Quebec, August 2009

In his bookSex Money Kiss,Gene Simmonssays Stanley was the driving force for KISS during the period in the 1980s when the band performed without makeup. Those years, Stanley noted, "were fine for me. I found them very satisfying because I got a chance to be out there without makeup, which I craved at that point. I think it was easier for me[than Simmons]because my persona was one that wasn't really defined by the makeup… The makeup was just reinforcing what you were seeing and who I was. "[22]

In 2007, Stanley was hospitalized withtachycardia.In his absence, Kiss performed live as a trio for the first time in decades. The concert was the first Kiss performance Stanley missed.[23]

During the first leg of the band'sfinal tour,Stanley was accused by fans oflip syncingand usingbacking tracks.[24]In response to the allegations, Stanley did not confirm nor deny that he lip syncs on stage, saying he is taking care of his voice.[25]Accusations were later revived by fans following the band's performance in Belgium on June 6, 2022, when a slip-up occurred with the fireworks and drum cues a measure late on the opening song, "Detroit Rock City".[26]Doc McGhee, the band's manager, later confirmed simultaneously that Stanley did sing fully, but will sing to tracks, denying that he was lip syncing.[27]

Solo career

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Stanley released his first solo albumPaul Stanleyas part of the four simultaneously released Kiss solo albums, but he has rarely recorded or performed outside of Kiss. He wrote and recorded material for another album in 1987–88, but it was shelved in favor of the Kiss compilationSmashes, Thrashes & Hits.While never officially released, songs such as "Don't Let Go" and "When Two Hearts Collide" have circulated asbootleg recordings.One song from the project, "Time Traveler", was released as part of Kiss' 2001box set.[28]

In 1989, Stanley embarked on a brief club tour. His touring band included guitaristBob Kulickand future Kiss drummerEric Singer.In the same year, Stanley shared lead vocals withDesmond Childon the title track for the soundtrack of theWes Cravenhorror filmShocker.

Stanley, Singer and Thayer performing at theAzkena Rock Festival,June 2010

Twenty-eight years after releasing his first solo album, Stanley released a second album,Live to Win,on October 24, 2006. Its title song "Live to Win" appears in theSouth Parkepisode "Make Love, Not Warcraft".In October and November 2006, Stanley embarked on a theater tour in support ofLive to Win.His touring band was the house band from theCBSTV showRock Star,composed ofPaul Mirkovich(keyboards),Jim McGorman(guitar),Rafael Moreira(lead guitar),Nate Morton(drums), andSasha Krivtsov(bass). In April 2007, Stanley extended the tour to include Australia, playing in Coolangatta, Wollongong, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide. Portions of the tour were filmed for a documentary titledPaul Stanley: Live to Dreamby the Chicago-based Film Foetus.[29]The band's performance at theHouse of Bluesin Chicago was captured on film and released in 2008 on DVD and digital audio download formats asOne Live Kiss.[30]

In 2008, Stanley sang a duet withSarah Brightman,"I Will Be with You",on herSymphonyalbum. In 2016, he guested inAce Frehley's covers albumOrigins, Vol. 1,singing "Fire and Water"byFree.[31]

In 2015, Stanley established Paul Stanley's Soul Station, a tribute band playing a mix of soul oldies from the 1960s and 1970s with original songs in the same style. Paul Stanley's Soul Station released its first album in 2021, along with its lead single, the original "I, Oh I."[32]

Vocals and playing style

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Possessing a tenor vocal range, Stanley tends to sing in the high registers and is known for hisfalsetto.[33]Stanley usesIbanezguitars (with various signature models currently available),Seymour Duncanpickups, Ernie Ball strings and ENGL amplifiers, as well as custom made KISS signature picks. He has also used various other makes of guitar over the years, including Washburn (with whom he also had a signature model), Gibson, B.C. Rich, Ampeg andOvationamong others. He has also previously used amplifiers by Fender and later Randall.[34]

Other projects

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Stanley and Thayer in concert with Kiss at the Chumash Casino Resort inSanta Ynez, Californiain July 2006

In 1999, Stanley starred in a Toronto production ofThe Phantom of the Opera,[35]in which he played the role of the Phantom. He appeared in the musical from May 25 to August 1, and again that year from September 30 to October 31, 1999, closing the show's ten-year run in Toronto. Stanley made his debut as a painter in 2006, exhibiting and selling original works of art. Stanley collaborated withBoston-basedpower popgroupClick Fiveon theirhit single,"Angel To You (Devil To Me)".

Stanley produced a debut album for the bandNew England.Their first single from that album in 1978 "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya" reached the Top 40 in 1979.[36]

In 2012, Stanley partnered with Gene Simmons and three other investors to form the restaurant franchiseRock & Brews.[37]

On August 15, 2013, Stanley, Gene Simmons and managerDoc McGheebecame a part of the ownership group that created theL.A. KissArena Football Leagueteam, which played their home games at theHonda CenterinAnaheim, California.The team folded in 2016.[38]

In April 2014, Stanley published his memoir,Face the Music: A Life Exposed(ISBN978-0-06-211404-4).[5][39][40][41]In the memoir, Stanley, who is Jewish,[42]accused former bandmates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss ofantisemitism.[5][43]

An unreleased song written by Stanley along withJean Beauvoir,titled "Like a Bee to the Honey", was recorded and released by the Finnish hard rock bandLordifor their album,Killection.[44]

Personal life

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Stanley performing with Kiss at theO2 Arenain London, July 2019

In 1982, after he turned 30 years old, Stanley had reconstructive surgery for the microtia in his right ear done by Frederic Rueckert, who had been performing the procedure primarily on children. The new ear was formed from cartilage from one of the singer's ribs, with skin grafts put over it. Stanley said the surgery had given him "a new lease on life" and was so grateful to Rueckert that he gave the doctor aRolexwatch upon his retirement.[45]Because of this birth defect, Stanley is an ambassador for the charitable organizationAboutFace,an organization that provides support and information to people with facial differences. He has appeared at fundraising events and in videos to raise awareness.[46]

In 2001, Stanley's first wife, actress Pamela Bowen,[47]filed for divorce after nine years of marriage. They have one son named Evan, born in June 1994. On November 19, 2005, Stanley married longtime girlfriend Erin Sutton at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel inPasadena, California.The couple had a son in September 2006, a daughter in January 2009[48]and a daughter in August 2011.[49][50]Stanley considers his children Jewish but as Sutton is Catholic they raised them "100 percent Jewish and 100 percent Catholic".[51]

Stanley has had two hip-replacement surgeries: one after the "Rock the Nation" tour in October 2004, and a second in December 2004 after complications arose from the first surgery. He had announced in 2005 that he will require a third hip surgery in the future. He regards the degeneration of his left hip as partly the product of thousands of shows performed inplatform bootssince the early 1970s.[citation needed]

In October 2011, Stanley had surgery on hisvocal cords.He said, "I hold myself to a higher standard than others do. With that in mind, I wanted to remedy a few minor issues that come with 40 years of preaching rock 'n' roll."[52]

Awards

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  • Inducted into theLong Island Music Hall of Famein 2006[53]
  • Showman of the Year award of the Classic Rock Awards for 2008
  • Classic Gold Telly Award for his concert filmOne Live Kissin 2009
  • Sound Partners Lifetime Achievement Award from the House Research Institute[54][55]
  • Gibson.com's Reader's Poll listed Stanley among rock and roll's 25 top frontmen and -women.[3]
  • Stanley, along with original Kiss members Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.[56]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Solo

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Paul Stanley's Soul Station

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  • Now and Then(2021)

with Kiss

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Live albums

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Guest appearances

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^Rose, Mike (January 20, 2023)."Today's famous birthdays list for January 20, 2023 includes celebrities Questlove, Rainn Wilson".Cleveland.com.RetrievedJanuary 20,2023.
  2. ^"Top 100 Metal Vocalists".dinosaurrockguitar.com.RetrievedOctober 26,2024.
  3. ^ab"Gibson.com Readers Poll – Top 25 Frontmen (and Frontwomen)".Gibson.com.August 27, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon August 30, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 10,2019.
  4. ^Leaf, David; Sharp, Ken (June 2, 2005).KISS: Behind the Mask - The Official Authorized Biography.Grand Central Publishing. p. 25.ISBN978-0-446-69524-4.
  5. ^abcGetlen, Larry (April 6, 2014)."Paul Stanley: KISS members were anti-Semites".New York Post.RetrievedOctober 21,2014.
  6. ^"Eva Eisen".geni_family_tree.May 4, 2020.RetrievedAugust 11,2024.
  7. ^"William Eisen Obituary (2021) - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Times".Legacy.com.RetrievedAugust 11,2024.
  8. ^Stanley, Paul (April 8, 2014).Face the Music: A Life Exposed.HarperOne.ISBN978-0-06-211404-4.My family lit candles and observed Jewish holidays in some vague ways, but we weren't very observant. I was never bar mitzvahed.... sure, I felt Jewish, but I didn't want to subject myself to being around any more people.
  9. ^Stanley, Paul (2014).Face the Music: A Life Exposed.HarperCollins. p. 13.ISBN978-0-06-211406-8.I was born with an ear deformity calledmicrotia,in which the outer ear cartilage fails to form properly and, to varying degrees of severity, leaves you with just a crumpled mass of cartilage.... That left me unable to tell the direction of sound, and more importantly, made it incredibly difficult for me to understand people when there was any kind of background noise or conversation.
  10. ^Duca, Lauren (April 15, 2014)."Kiss Frontman Paul Stanley Was Born With Only One Ear, Had A Generally Nightmarish Childhood".The Huffington Post.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  11. ^abLeaf, David; Sharp, Ken (2008).KISS: Behind the Mask – Official Authorized Biography.Hachette Digital. pp. 25–26.ISBN978-0-446-55350-6.
  12. ^Stanley 2014, pp. 11–14
  13. ^Leaf/Sharp 2008, p. 24
  14. ^"Notable Alumni".alumniandfriends.org.Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. Archived fromthe originalon February 25, 2009.RetrievedAugust 4,2009.
  15. ^"Kiss Singer Paul Stanley Faces the Music in Candid Autobiography".paulstanley.com.RetrievedOctober 4,2019.
  16. ^Gooch and Suhs,Kiss Alive Forever,pp. 14.
  17. ^Gill,Focus,pp. 68–71.
  18. ^Leaf and Sharp,Behind the Mask,pp. 20–21.
  19. ^Stanley, Paul (August 25, 2017).""Face the Music" by Paul Stanley Disc 2 ".YouTube.RetrievedDecember 7,2022.
  20. ^Blum, Jordan."10 Rockers Who Legally Adopted Their Stage Names".Loudwire.RetrievedAugust 30,2022.
  21. ^Kitts, Jeff: 'Kiss 'N' Makeup',Guitar World,September 1996, p73
  22. ^Uhelszki, Jaan(May 2017). "Who Is The Real Paul Stanley?".Classic Rock.No. 235. p. 65.
  23. ^"PAUL STANLEY Hospitalized Prior To California Gig; KISS Performs As Three-Piece".Blabbermouth.net.July 28, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon September 30, 2007.RetrievedJuly 28,2007.
  24. ^Buchanan, Brett (February 8, 2019)."KISS Accused of Lip Sync Screw Up in Video: 'That Was Pathetic'".Alternative Nation.Archived fromthe originalon April 10, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 12,2023.
  25. ^Buchanan, Brett (February 28, 2019)."Kiss Reveal the Truth After Lip Syncing Allegations".Alternative Nation.RetrievedFebruary 12,2023.
  26. ^"Kiss 'Backing Tracks' Accusations Revived After Eric Singer's 'Mistake' At Antwerp Concert".Blabbermouth.net.June 7, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 12,2023.
  27. ^"Kiss's Longtime Manager Addresses Paul Stanley 'Lip-Sync' Accusations".Blabbermouth.net.February 5, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 12,2023.
  28. ^"KISS - KISS: The Box Set".Discogs.RetrievedSeptember 15,2022.
  29. ^"Paul Stanley: Live to Dream".FilmFoetus.com.Archived fromthe originalon October 1, 2011.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  30. ^"Paul Stanley: One Live Kiss (2008)".IMDb.October 21, 2008.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  31. ^Grow, Kory (April 14, 2016)."Hear Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley's First Song Together in 18 Years".Rolling Stone.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  32. ^Greene, Andy (March 5, 2021)."Paul Stanley's Soul Station Releases First Original Song".Rolling Stone.RetrievedJuly 31,2022.
  33. ^Campion, James (March 6, 2016)."Music From the Elder: Explaining the Kiss Album Everyone Hates".jamescampion.com.Vincary Media.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  34. ^"Paul Stanley".May 8, 2021.RetrievedMay 8,2023.
  35. ^Lalley, Heather (July 21, 2000)."Goodbye Kiss?".Spokane, Washington: The Spokesman-Review. p. 4.RetrievedApril 28,2022.Stanley has already starred in "The Phantom of the Opera" in Toronto
  36. ^Lamb, Bill."Greetings From Imrie House – The Click Five".About.com.Archived fromthe originalon June 5, 2011.RetrievedDecember 22,2009.
  37. ^Simms, Kelley (August 27, 2019)."A KISS-tied restaurant in Des Moines? It's a possibility, says band member Paul Stanley".Des Moines Register.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  38. ^Kartje, Ryan (October 18, 2016)."Arena Football League's L.A. KISS apparently have folded, leaving players and fans in the dark".OC Register.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.
  39. ^Blatt, Ruth (April 8, 2014)."KISS's Paul Stanley Overcame Deafness, Deformity And Bullying To Become A Rock Star".Forbes.RetrievedOctober 21,2014.
  40. ^Stanley, Paul."Face The Music".Kirkus Reviews.RetrievedOctober 21,2014.
  41. ^"Nonfiction Book Review: Face The Music: A Life Exposed by Paul Stanley".Publishers Weekly.RetrievedOctober 21,2014.
  42. ^Stanley, Paul (April 8, 2014).Face the Music: A Life Exposed.HarperOne. p. 447.ISBN978-0-06-211404-4.I'm Jewish and I believe in God, but I don't picture God as an old man with a beard and a robe sitting in heaven judging us.
  43. ^"Paul Stanley: Former KISS members were anti-Semitic".Fox News Network.April 8, 2014.RetrievedOctober 21,2014.
  44. ^"Lordi Posts New Lyric Video" Like A Bee To The Honey "Online".Metal Underground.January 19, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 25,2020.
  45. ^Amabile Angermiller, Michele (May 5, 2017)."The Amazing Story of KISS Guitarist Paul Stanley's Missing Ear, and the Doctor Who Reconstructed It".Variety.RetrievedJuly 22,2019.
  46. ^"Improv-ing self-esteem– Acting classes help children with facial differences".Makingfaces.ca. December 23, 2000. Archived fromthe originalon February 3, 2012.RetrievedDecember 7,2011.
  47. ^"Pamela Bowen".IMDb.
  48. ^"Kiss Singer Paul Stanley Welcomes a Daughter".People.February 10, 2009 – via People.com.
  49. ^Byrne, Alla (August 10, 2011)."Paul Stanley of KISS Welcomes Fourth Child – Kiss, Babies, Paul Stanley".People.RetrievedDecember 7,2011– via People.com.
  50. ^Stanley, Paul (April 8, 2014).Face the Music: A Life Exposed.HarperOne. p. 478.ISBN978-0-06-211404-4.
  51. ^Cohen, Mike (February 23, 2021)."Dad found it hard to face the music, says Kiss star".Medium.RetrievedAugust 11,2024.
  52. ^Duke, Alan (October 26, 2011)."KISS front man Paul Stanley undergoes vocal cord surgery".CNN.
  53. ^"Paul Stanley".Long Island Music Hall of Fame.November 3, 2017.RetrievedAugust 6,2021.
  54. ^"30th Annual Telly Awards 2009: Classic Telly Classic Winners".tellyawards.com.RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.
  55. ^"House Research Institute Awards Paul Stanley with Sound Partners Lifetime Achievement Award".Newswise.
  56. ^Reilly, Dan."Kiss Enters Rock Hall With Little Drama, But Stern Words for Voters".Billboard.RetrievedAugust 28,2019.

Sources

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