BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – When it comes to glam rock stars, Paul Stanley always could wield that makeup brush with the best of them.
So maybe it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the Kiss guitarist, first introduced to the world with his face covered in white makeup, his lips painted bright red, a dark star over his right eye, would someday set aside that guitar long enough to pour his soul into oil on canvas.
Still, Stanley says he was the most surprised guy on the planet when he, an art-class washout from New York City's High School of Music and Art, suddenly began to make the transition from guitar god to serious painter eight years ago.
NEWPORT, KY - The phone rang Wednesday afternoon in Christopher "Critter" Smith's room at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
His mom had just stepped out for a moment, so he answered it.
"Critter, it's Paul Stanley," the caller said. Stanley is the lead singer for KISS, Critter's favorite rock band.
"At first, I thought it was just my dad messing with me," Critter said.
It really was Stanley.
The band had been alerted about Critter by a fan after an article was published March 2 in The Enquirer. The article talked about the 11-year-old's battle with leukemia, and mentioned his love for KISS.
"When I realized it was really him, I was like, 'Oh my God!'" Critter said.
Stanley told Critter to stay strong and that he was praying for him. "And he told me he was going to send me some KISS stuff," Critter said.
Paul will appear on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight (Airs on CNN’s HLN—formerly Headline News) on Saturday and Sunday, March 14 & 15 at 11:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 p.m. PT .
TOPIC: Segment on musicians that paint featuring the incredible art works of Paul Stanley
PAUL STANLEY, lead singer of the legendary rock band KISS, has come to the aid of the Fishers, Indiana fourth grade Youth Travel Baseball Team - the HSE Fishers Cats! Stanley donated one of his signature model Washburn guitars to help the team raise money to help offset some expenses of their upcoming summer season. The autographed Paul Stanley 'Preacher' guitar will be raffled off at the 2009 Indianapolis KISS Fan Expo on March 15th. 100% of all proceeds from sales of raffle tickets will go to the team.
Wentworth Gallery is pleased to present two art exhibitions by artist, rock icon and legendary KISS frontman Paul Stanley. Paul will make two special appearances at Wentworth Gallery in May.
Friday – May 15 - 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Saturday – May 16 - 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Wentworth Gallery
The Court at King of Prussia
690 West Dekalb Pike
King of Prussia, PA
For details on the VIP Reception with Paul Stanley or to RSVP please call 610-337-8988 or 800-732-6140
(Here's a few photos from last weekend's New Jersey Art Shows. In the top photo Paul is with one of his new sculptures.)
On an overcast afternoon in the tony New Jersey enclave of Short Hills, dozens of patrons have packed into the Wentworth Gallery to celebrate an art opening. Glasses of chilled chardonnay are served in the white-walled space as a battalion of gallery assistants respond to customer queries about abstract works in shades of blush and marigold. But make no mistake: this is not your average academic art exhibit. A quick scan of the attendees reveals lots of big hair, tight jeans and hints of rocker-girl décolletage. The sound system throbs with the refrain "Lick it up, lick it up." And perched behind a velvet stanchion, in an unbuttoned silk shirt that reveals just the right amount of furry, well-carved chest, is the artist: Kiss guitarist and front man Paul Stanley.
Over the past half-dozen years, the platform-booted mastermind of lyrics like "You pull the trigger of my love gun" has been cultivating a financially rewarding following as a painter and sculptor. It may seem an unlikely pursuit for a musician responsible for an entire industry's worth of action figures and lunch boxes. But the Kiss Army has grown up, has children and is now ready to buy art. And Stanley, 57, indulges them with brightly hued paintings that lean toward the abstract. (Think circles, squares and geometric patterns, reminiscent of an electric Madras plaid.) He does figurative work as well, namely the individual portraits he creates of his bandmates — in full Kabuki regalia — against a backdrop of sherbety colors. Jim Waitts, of Montville, N.J., is a three-decade-long Kiss fan who started collecting Stanley's work in 2007 and now owns more than a dozen paintings. "It strikes a chord in me," he says of the art. "It's the use of colors that appeal to me, the overall effect that it achieves."
In January, KISS frontman Paul Stanley welcomed a new addition to his family of four: a baby girl named Sarah Brianna. Star caught up with the rock legend to talk about his new little lady as well as his upcoming reunion tour.
Star: How did you and your wife Erin come up with the name Sarah Brianna?
Sarah is a solid biblical name. It means princess in Hebrew and Brianna means noble. And besides, all of our favorite fruit names were picked!
Star: You already have two boys. (Colin, 2, is his son with Erin; Evan, 14, is from a previous relationship.) Will you be taking a different approach to parenting a girl?
You bet! This little treasure is obviously some sort of payback for my wanton years.
Star: How are you with diapers?
No problem, but after two boys I have to admit that, anatomically, it's a bit of an adjustment.
Star: Are Colin and Evan enjoying their new sis?
They're terrific. Thankfully as my family grows bigger it grows better — and no sister could want two better brothers.
Star: With your KISS background, will you be the one giving Sarah makeup tips when the time comes?
I doubt she'll ever want a star on her eye.
Star: Will you bring the family when you tour with KISS this summer?
Yes, most definitely. It'll be interesting to find out which is
louder: the stage or the hotel room.
For more than 30 years, Paul Stanley has been an integral part of the success of one the most historic rock bands ever — KISS. Creating and performing hits for decades, Paul is now gearing up to produce KISS’ newest album, and in four weeks will perform in stadiums in South America. The big news is that it is likely that they’ll take the KISS show on the road to Canada in July and will be doing a huge U.S. tour in the fall.
But while Paul is a legendary music artist, he is also a “self-taught” painter as he creates abstract expressions and portraits in vibrant colors. As he told In Touch in an exclusive interview at the Wentworth Gallery at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, N.J., “When it comes to art, people either love what they’re looking at or they don’t. I was self-conscious about showing my art at first — when I hung my first piece up I didn’t even sign it, but everyone who saw it on my wall asked about it."
