Kiss (also typeset as KISS) is an American rock band formed in New York City in

December 1972. Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits,
the group rose to prominence in the mid and late-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live
performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and
pyrotechnics. Kiss has been awarded 24 gold albums to date.[1] The group's worldwide
sales exceed 80 million albums.[2]

The original lineup of Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals
and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion
and vocals) is the most successful and identifiable. With their makeup and costumes, they
took on the personae of comic book-style characters: The Demon (Simmons), Starchild
(Stanley), Space Ace (Frehley), and Catman (Criss). The band explains that the fans were
the ones who ultimately chose their makeup designs. The "Demon" makeup reflected
Gene's cynicism and dark elements, as well as his love for comic books. Paul Stanley
became the "Starchild" due to his tendency to be referred to as the "starry-eyed lover" and
"hopeless romantic." Ace Frehley's "Space Ace" makeup was a reflection of him wanting
to go for a ride in a space ship and supposedly being from another planet. Peter Criss'
"Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that Peter had nine lives due to his
rough childhood in Brooklyn. Due to creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were
out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had also waned considerably
by that point.

In 1983, Kiss abandoned its makeup and enjoyed a commercial resurgence throughout the
rest of the decade. Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced
a reunion of the original lineup (with makeup) in 1996. The resulting Kiss
Alive/Worldwide/Lost Cities/Reunion Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997.
Criss and Frehley have since left Kiss again and have been replaced by Eric Singer and
Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band continues to perform with makeup, while Stanley
and Simmons have remained the only two constant members.

Before Wicked Lester, Paul Stanley was in a local band, Rainbow (not to be confused
with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow) and Uncle Joe. Through a mutual friend of Gene
Simmons, Stanley joined Simmons' band Wicked Lester in the early 1970s. The band
recorded an album in 1971, but as of 2005 it has never been officially released (although
songs from the album appeared on Kiss's 2001 box set). Wicked Lester soon fell apart
and Stanley and Simmons placed ads for a drummer and a guitarist in various New York
papers. This resulted in Peter Criss and Ace Frehley joining the group, and they named
themselves Kiss. Kiss released their self-titled debut in February 1974.

Paul's persona in Kiss is "The Starchild." Wearing Spandex and platform boots, Stanley's
persona is that of a Don Juan-esque lover, combining effeminate elements with elements
of extreme masculinity, rather than mere androgyny. Although Stanley's voice is
generally very soft and eloquent during normal conversation, he uses a specific "stage
voice" which is like a "Rock N' Roll Preacher from Queens", much like Gene Simmons
adopts an animalistic growl on stage for his demon persona. Unlike most leading rock
frontmen, he gets the crowd to join the band in many of their classic hits and also tends to
give a speech or "scripted" story for certain songs (e.g. having sexual encounters with
nurses and other women he's met on tour and how much he supports U.S. troops
overseas).

In his book Sex Money Kiss, Gene Simmons admits that Paul was the driving force for
Kiss during the makeup-free 1980s, while Simmons was feeling lost without his demon
makeup and attempting to launch a film career.

In 1999 Stanley starred in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera, 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. While in Toronto, Stanley was
contacted by AboutFace, an organization that provides support and information to
individuals with facial differences, and asked to help raise awareness for them. Although
he was approached due to his role as The Phantom, Stanley was in fact born with
microtia, a congenital deformity of the pinna (outer ear). He has appeared at fundraising
events and in videos for the organization.

In 2001 Stanley's wife, Dallas native Pamela Bowen, filed for divorce. They have one
son, Evan Shane Stanley, born June 6, 1994.

Stanley badly needed hip replacement surgery but suffered through the Rock The Nation
tour first, finally getting the surgery in October 2005. Complications from the surgery
required a second in December of that year, and in December 2005 it has been announced
that a third hip surgery will be necessary. Stanley regards the degeneration of his left hip
as partly the product of thousands of shows performed since the early 1970s. In the
"Rock The Nation Live" DVD he spends much more time standing in one place than he
has on previous DVDs and tours.

On November 19, 2005, Paul Stanley married longtime girlfriend Erin Sutton at The
Ritz-Carlton, Huntington in Pasadena, California. They welcomed their first child, 8 lb.
6oz. Colin Michael Stanley, on Wednesday, September 6, 2006.

Stanley made his debut as a painter in 2005, exhibiting and selling original works of art.

In 2006, Stanley resumed his association with Washburn Guitars and using the Washburn
PS2000. Previously, he has had four signature guitars made by Silvertone, and tweaked
the Ibanez Iceman to his specifications, calling it the PS10.

Stanley's most recent performances with Kiss were a group of shows in July 2007,
dubbed the Hit 'N Run Tour. Prior to the final show on July 27, Stanley was hospitalized
with an extremely rapid heartbeat. In his absence, Kiss performed live as a trio for the
first time in decades. Previously, Kiss performed as a trio at Studio 54 in New York City
for an international satellite broadcast on January 28, 1982, lip-syncing the song "I" from
Music from "The Elder" for the Italian Festival della canzone italiana, also known as the
Sanremo Festival, when Ace Frehley failed to show for the performance due to what was
described at the time as a mystery "illness." The July 27, 2007 concert is the first Kiss
concert Stanley has missed during his 34-year tenure with the group.[1] In September
2007, Stanley took part in Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp as a guest star for his second time
in New York City.

Stanley Harvey Eisen (born January 20, 1952, Queens, New York) known by his stage
name Paul Stanley, is an American Hard rock guitarist and vocalist for the rock band
Kiss. He is the writer or co-writer of most of the band's highest-charting hits, including
"Rock and Roll All Nite", "Detroit Rock City", "Hard Luck Woman", "I Was Made for
Lovin' You," "Crazy Crazy Nights," and "Forever."

Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz (pronounced Haium) on August 25, 1949) is an
Israeli-born American hard rock bass guitarist, vocalist, and actor. He is best known as
"The Demon," his blood-spitting, fire-breathing, and tongue-wagging persona in the hard
rock band Kiss, an act he co-founded in the early 1970s. Simmons also contends that he
has "never been high, drunk, or smoked in [his] life."[1]

Simmons was born in Haifa, Israel, and emigrated to New York City at the age of eight,[2]
with his mother Florence Klein—a Jewish Hungarian immigrant and the only member of
her family to survive the Holocaust. His father, Feri Witz, did not accompany them to the
U.S. When Simmons was young, his mother's long absences while working two jobs in
order to make ends meet left emotional scars that gave him a strong desire for wealth.
After arriving in the U.S., he took the name Eugene Klein (later Gene Klein), Klein being
his mother's maiden name. In the late 1960s, he changed his name to Gene Simmons.

Simmons became involved with his first band, Lynx, then renamed The Missing Links,
when he was a teenager. Eventually, he disbanded The Missing Links to form The Long
Island Sounds. While he played in these bands, he kept up odd jobs on the side to make
more money, including making fanzines and trading used comic books. Simmons
attended Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, New York. He then
joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and the band recorded a demo, "Leeta"; later included
on the Kiss box set.

Simmons formed the rock band Wicked Lester in the early 1970s with Stanley Harvey
Eisen (now known as Paul Stanley) and recorded one album, which was never released.
Dissatisfied with Wicked Lester's sound and look, Simmons and Stanley attempted to fire
their band members; they were met with resistance, and they quit Wicked Lester, walking
away from their record deal with Epic Records. They decided to form the ultimate rock
band, and started looking for a drummer. Simmons and Stanley found an ad placed by
Peter Criss, who was playing clubs in Brooklyn at the time; they joined and started out as
a trio. Paul Frehley responded to an ad they put in the Village Voice for a lead guitar
player, and soon joined them. Kiss released its self-titled debut album in February 1974.
Stanley quickly took on the role of lead performer on stage, while Simmons became the
driving force behind what became an extensive Kiss merchandising franchise.

In 1983, while Kiss's fame was waning, the members took off their trademark make-up
and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that continued into the 1990s. The band hosted
their own fan conventions throughout 1995, and fan feedback about the original Kiss
members reunion influenced the highly successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide reunion
tour. In 1998, the band released Psycho Circus, its first album in almost 20 years by the
original line-up. Since then, the original line-up has once again dissolved, with Tommy
Thayer replacing Ace Frehley on lead guitar and Eric Singer (who performed with Kiss
from 1992 up through 1996) replacing Peter Criss on drums.

Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]) is an American guitarist best known
as an original member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss founded by Gene
Simmons and Paul Stanley. He took on the persona of 'Space Ace' when the band adopted
costumes and theatrics. Frehley played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his
departure in 1982.

After leaving Kiss, Frehley embarked on a moderately successful solo career, which was
put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour. His
second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of what was
purported to be the band's Farewell Tour. He has since resumed his solo career although
to date, he has not released any new music.

Frehley spent the early 1970s in a series of local bands. In late 1972, his best friend, Bob
McAdams, spotted an advertisement for a lead guitarist in the Village Voice and showed
the ad to Ace. Both Bob and Ace went to 10 East 23rd Street above the Live Bait Bar.
Ace auditioned for the trio of Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (bass guitar)
and Peter Criss (drums). Frehley (who showed up wearing one red sneaker and one
orange sneaker) was less than impressive visually, but the band liked what they heard
from his playing. About three weeks after Frehley auditioned, the new group named him
their lead guitarist. By January 1973, Wicked Lester decided on a new name - Kiss.
Frehley designed the band's unique, double-lightning-bolt logo.[3] The band quickly
decided to paint their faces for live performances, and Frehley decided to start painting
silver stars on his eyes. When the group eventually decided to adopt stage personas to go
with their makeup designs, Frehley became "Space Ace," an alien visitor from the planet
of Jendell.

While Kiss spent their early days rehearsing and playing in empty clubs, Frehley took a
job as a part-time cab driver to pay his bills. In September 1973, Kiss began to receive a
salary from new manager Bill Aucoin that paid each member $75 a week. This enabled
Frehley to quit his job.

Kiss released their debut album, Kiss, in February 1974—Frehley's sole songwriting
contribution was "Cold Gin". Due to Frehley's lack of confidence in his own singing
voice, however, the vocals were performed by Simmons. Frehley wrote or co-wrote
several of the band's songs over the next few years but didn't record his vocals on a song
until "Shock Me" (inspired by his near-electrocution during a concert), which appeared
on 1977's Love Gun.[2]
As lead guitarist, Frehley was known for his frenetic, atmospheric playing, becoming one
of the most popular guitarists in the 70s and spawning a generation of new players.
Indeed, Frehley stated in the book Kiss: Behind the Mask that many guitarists have told
him his playing on 1975's hit Alive! prompted them to pick up the instrument. Frehley is
well recognized for using Gibson Les Paul guitars, including his trademarked model
conversion ala Cara Guitars which filled the stage full of smoke during his live guitar
solo.

According to Gene Simmons in his book "KISS and Make-Up", Ace was drunk most of
the time on tour, except for on stage.

Along with the three other Kiss members, Frehley released an eponymous solo album in
1978. His was the best-selling of the four, and the album's lone single (the Russ Ballard
written "New York Groove") reached the Top 20 in the United States.

Frehley's songwriting presence within the group increased in 1979, contributing 2

originals and a cover (The Rolling Stones' 2000 Man) for 1979's Dynasty and 3 originals
for 1980s Unmasked. While this was not the best time for Kiss on a commercial level in
the United States, they were only just beginning to take off in other countries (mostly in
Australia where Dynasty and Unmasked are their highest selling albums). But even as his
songwriting role within Kiss was increasing, Frehley found himself increasingly at odds
with the musical direction of the band. After Peter Criss left Kiss in 1980, Frehley was
often outvoted 2-1 in band decisions, as replacement drummer Eric Carr was not a
partner in Kiss and had no vote. Frehley's participation in the recording of 1981's Music
from "The Elder" was far more limited than with previous albums. This was, in large part,
due to his unhappiness with the band's decision to create a concept album rather than a
straightforward rock album, and also, by Frehley's own admission, his "not relating all
that well" to producer Bob Ezrin who cut many of Frehley's solos and leads from the
recorded tracks.

Exacerbating the situation was Frehley's escalating erratic behavior and substance abuse.
In April 1982, Frehley was involved in a serious automobile accident (drummer Anton
Fig was the driver). In May, he led police on a 90-mph car chase on the Bronx River
Parkway. This incident led to a $600 fine and a six-month suspension of his driver's
license.[1] Although Frehley appeared on the covers for 1982's greatest hits album Killers
and studio album Creatures of the Night, he had no involvement with Killers, and
minimal input on Creatures Of The Night. Frehley's last appearances with the band were
the video for "I Love it Loud," a series of European promotional appearances in
November 1982 and a band interview with MTV in early 1983 promoting their world
tour.

George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known as Peter Criss,
is an American musician best known as drummer and vocalist for the rock band Kiss.
Criss established the "Cat" character for his Kiss persona.
Contrary to the story that has been recited by fans and by the band for years, there was
never an ad placed that said "Drummer willing to do anything to make it."[1] The ad was
answered by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, who were looking for new members for
their band, Kiss. Ace Frehley was added to the lineup in December 1972, and the band
was formed later that month.

Kiss released their self-titled debut in February of 1974. Throughout his Kiss career,
Criss was lead vocalist on several notable songs including "Black Diamond", "Hard Luck
Woman", and their breakthrough hit "Beth". Many of Criss' contributions to Kiss were
written with the help of Stan Penridge, who was a bandmate of Criss' in Chelsea and
Lips.

Criss was featured on the album sleeve for the 1979 comedy record Lenny and the
Squigtones, collection of novelty songs by Michael McKean and David L. Lander,
performing as their Laverne & Shirley personnas of Lenny and Squiggy. Criss was billed
as drummer "Ming the Merciless," and appeared without his Kiss makeup