Born on January 20: Paul Stanley (KISS) promises not to touch make-up!

When he was born in New York in 1952, the future singer and rhythm guitarist didn't yet sport a white clown face. But we didn't check his birth cirtificate. A slight doubt remains...

The man who hid for half a century behind a few kilos of make-up and the character of Starchild (in reference to the star around his right eye) actually had Stanley as his first name and Eisen as his surname. But when you decide to play a character, in addition to undeniable vocal and guitar skills, it's quite logical to dissociate the stage from everyday life. As a fan of Paul McCartney (Beatles) and Paul Rodgers (Fre and Bad Company), he too will be called Paul!

When the members of Kiss decided to drop their masks, quite literally, for the 1983 album “Lick It Up”, fans felt betrayed and sales took a serious nosedive. Stanley, however, saw these years as a blessing: “I confess that I had come to hate wearing make-up in all circumstances. I'm aware, however, that it was easier for me than for Gene (Simmons, the bassist) because my character was less typical than his,” he would later confess.

A few years later, even though their music had remained true to itself - metal but polished, you might say - the band felt obliged to give it another go (again, literally), or risk seeing its star fade further. 

Astonishingly, the singer has suffered from hearing loss since birth. Despite the fact that his right ear is deaf to say the least, music soon became an important part of his life. At the age of 13, his first real guitar was acoustic, but he made up for it later by pushing his Washburn Starfire - his favorite - to the limit!

He also composed some of Kiss' greatest hits, such as the (almost) disco-tinged “I Was Made For Living You” (1979), “Rock'n Roll All Nite” (1975), “Shout It Out Loud” (1976) and “Love Gun” (1987). 

Kiss have always excelled in their extremely generous use of pyrotechnics, but also in terribly effective marketing. From the “Farewell” tour in 2000 to “End Of The Road” in 2023, they regularly announced their intention to go out of business. There's no better way to rally fans for (supposedly) one last time! In the meantime, however, they don't hesitate to make the most addicted fans pay. For them, every autographed photo is worth its weight in gold, and for their last tour, the most expensive VIP tickets reached dizzying heights.

Now officially retired, with a bank account we can only imagine, Paul Stanley can now devote himself, when the mood strikes him, to his Soul Station project, which, as its name suggests, sails to the antipodes of Kiss. Now And Then” (2021) features his guitar and vocals, of course, but also, surprise, horns, female backing vocals, violins and, of course, covers like The Spinners' ‘Could It Be I'm Falling In Love’!  

(Stéphane Soupart - Tr.: MH - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)
Photo: Paul Stanley with Kiss on stage at Forest-National, Brussels (Belgium), September 11, 1980