To go from being an unpopular, chubby little kid who was chasing girls and couldn't seem to catch them, to being chased after and making sure I ran slow enough that I did get caught, it was 180 degree turn. It was being given the keys to the candy store.
Paul StanleyIf we're lucky we realize that life is really about family - your children, your family and your friends. Without that, the rest is hollow.
Paul StanleyThe premise of Kiss has always been to not live within the confinements and boundaries other people set for themselves. We set our own limitations, and those are no limitations.
Paul StanleyI think KISS has always been about celebrating self-empowerment. Celebrating the idea that anything is possible with determination and hard work.
Paul StanleyDon't kid yourself; the guy who's onstage in ripped-up jeans is wearing as much a costume as I am.
Paul StanleyI never thought being the producer was being the dictator. It means being the director and being the coach. It's a way of keeping everybody focused on the goal, and also having final say. Everybody can be in the same car, but somebody has to drive.
Paul StanleyA Kiss concert experience is like sex or anything else that's done with more that one person. It's the give and take that makes it so great. When the audience takes it to the next level, we can kick it up another notch.
Paul StanleyThe fact that you can't base a coffeehouse on any other rock band is the other rock bands' problem, not mine.
Paul StanleyI was a chubby boy. My pants used to wear out in the middle, and it was because my legs used to rub together. I wasn't obese, just chunky.
Paul StanleyI am one of the biggest Laura Nyro fans. I still listen to that stuff incessantly. Laura Nyro does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Songwriter Hall of Fame? Absolutely.
Paul StanleyNothing could ever stop Kiss. I've seen the band in down times where critics were like vultures circling overhead saying things like, 'Well, you know it's the end of your career.'
Paul StanleyWhenever anybody comes to me with a way that I can give something back, it would be ungrateful at this point in my life to not say yes.
Paul StanleyOur audience is young and vibrant; we retain our previous following; we are three generations into it. Unlike other bands that are very demographically specific, who they appeal to and who their fans are, we're the antithesis of that. If you see your younger brother or a parent of yours or a neighbor at most rock concerts, that's not cool but with us and kids, it's a tribal gathering. Whether it's kids or neighbors - they're all part of a secret society.
Paul StanleyI was lucky enough as a kid to spend most of my weekends at the Fillmore East. On a great night, that was like a Holy Roller evangelical church.
Paul StanleyIf I write for myself, I write a song and I bring in the musicians that are best suited to play it. There's a freedom there.
Paul StanleyThere are no fans more rabid or devoted than KISS fans. KISS fans are what all other fans are measured against. That's how it came to be known as the KISS Army.
Paul StanleyIt's absurd for anybody to look around and hear the acts and artists who cite us as an inspiration, and then tell me that we're not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Paul StanleyMusic critics are, for the most part, bitter people who are intent at dragging people down for being successful at what they want to do, which is probably music. The oddity of being a critic is: You don't get a diploma, you just decide you're a critic. If someone listens to your opinion rather than their own, it's their mistake. Any critic's top 10, any year, it's something controversial or something that will make them look hipper-than-thou. The whole critic game, we've never played.
Paul StanleyThe whole idea of rock and roll lifestyle is a cartoon. It's a caricature. And at times, it's made up of people emulating others; a few who actually live that lifestyle and many who claim to live that lifestyle.
Paul StanleyNashville may be famed for its country music, but this may well be the capital of rock and roll music in the United States of America.
Paul StanleyThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is marketing. You've got a bunch of faceless people in a back room who trademark a name that sounds very official. Well, if you had thought of it first, you would have been the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Paul StanleyMy workout is always with a trainer because, quite honestly, I don't think most people are motivated enough to do what they need to on their own. You either need a spotter or you need a trainer. You need somebody there to push you to get that extra five.
Paul StanleyWe are still not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but there are 3,000 Kiss products, a Kiss musical toothbrush, everything from Kiss caskets to Kiss condoms. There are no Radiohead condoms.
Paul StanleyWhen you're in a position to have gotten so much, the gift at this point is giving back.
Paul StanleyWhen you start fooling around with drugs, you're hurting your creativity, you're hurting your health. Drugs are death, in one form or another. If they don't kill you, they kill your soul. And if your soul's dead, you've got nothing to offer, anyway.
Paul StanleyI know life sometimes can get tough! And I know life sometimes can be a drag! But people, we have been given a gift, We have been given a road, And that road's name is... Rock and Roll!
Paul StanleyTooting my own horn is of no interest to me... it takes you away from real life. It's a waste, and I don't find a need to sing my own praises.
Paul StanleyThe financial reward is great and I love the life I have, but all money makes possible is for you to stop worrying about money. Then you have freedom to live your life.
Paul StanleyThe great thing about doing art shows is you get to meet the people who are interested in your art, and I think that when you're purchasing a piece of art it's a tremendous bonus to get to meet the artist because you get a chance to pick their brain a bit and find out first hand what the piece is about for the artist.
Paul StanleyCore strengthening is key to everything. It's not just about the way I look, but about stabilizing my body so I can perform better on stage.
Paul StanleyThe things we sing about are timeless. Political affairs and social situations come and go. But if you're singing about empowerment and not playing by the rules, you can sing about them until you can't sing anymore.
Paul Stanley