West Virginia DJ listens up to a warning about hearing loss from KISS guitarist

By Douglas Imbrogno

Bill France owes a double debt to KISS vocalist and guitarist Paul Stanley.

If you're not as serious a KISS fan as France is, here's an assist: Among the white grease painted faces of the legendary rock outfit, Stanley is the one with the black star painted over his right eye.

France's first debt is to Stanley and the band's costumed rock music, since it isn't quite accurate to call the Logan County resident a "serious" fan of KISS's raucous, over-the-top stagecraft.

He's a super-fan.

"Gosh, my first KISS concert was in 1978, and I've probably seen them a couple dozen times," said the 40-year-old France, who teaches language arts and broadcasting at Logan High School.

"I've met them several times, and I've actually done some artwork they used on their website. I kind of know all the outer circle. A couple of band members know me by my name -- Paul doesn't."

In this WSJ documentary, Lee Hawkins asks Paul Stanley of Kiss and other artists how they plan to stay relevant. These interviews come at a time when the music industry has experienced major changes over the last decade. Music sales now represent just a small part of many artists' income, and the charts are topped with dance music instead of rock and roll. Those who remain relevant will likely rely on building a profitable brand through touring, social media, and merchandising.

Watch the video below:

Here's the Nightline segment featuring Paul discussing his recent throat surgery.

The Wall Street Journal has released an amazing video interview with Paul Stanley! Reporter Lee Hawkins has an incredible, in-depth 22-minute conversation with Paul in which Paul discusses the origins of KISS, the band's longevity, his artwork and much more!

View the entire interview on Wall Street Journal Live:

KISS frontman Paul Stanley sat with WSJ's Lee Hawkins for an exclusive interview about his life and career. In this clip, Stanley shares the origin of the famous KISS makeup. To watch the full interview, tune in to YouTube.com/WSJ on Feb. 1st!

Check out this clip of Paul singing "You Shook Me" by Led Zeppelin with Vintage Trouble at his 60th birthday party last night.

Here's Paul's great birthday cake from last night's surprise birthday party in Los Angeles. Family and friends gathered to celebrate Paul's 60th birthday at a beautiful event thrown by Paul's wife Erin Stanley and Gene Simmons.

We'll have more photos soon!

Paul, my very best wishes on your birthday. You're the brother I never had. You've always been there. For me. For the band. For the fans.

Gene


Happy Birthday Paul! You're a great friend & a brother in arms.. We just made a kick-ass album together and had a great time doing it. You are THE rock & roll champion! Happy 60th!!

Tommy


Paul Stanley, Happy Birthday to the Grand Master of Ceremonies! You're still the best and I wish you only better days ahead...

Eric















Check out Paul rockin' Madison Square Garden in this great fan-filmed clip of "Love Gun" from 2009.

Paul Stanley of KISS is legendary around the world, and he has partnered with Washburn Guitars to release the amazing PS21012 “Starfire” signature guitar.

The PS2012 features a carved “raised center” solid Mahogany body with chrome hardware, and has two Seymour-Duncan® SM-3 Mini Humbuckers, controlled by two volume knobs, two tone knobs, and a 3-way toggle switch. A custom Tone-Pros® Tune-O-Matic bridge and custom Paul Stanley tailpiece machined from solid aluminum completes this rocking body. This USA made guitar is available in Black and White.

The neck is also Mahogany and has a bound ebony fingerboard with 22 Jumbo frets and stunning “split” block inlays, with the top half being Pearl, and the bottom being Abalone. The PS2012 Starfire embodies rock and roll in a way only Paul Stanley and Washburn can.

Washburn Guitars is owned by US Music Corp, located in Mundelein, IL.

For more information on Washburn Guitars, visit www.washburn.com

By CHRIS CONNELLY and AUDE SOICHET
Jan. 9, 2012

For some of today's most powerful young singers, vocal cord issues have them "rolling in the deep."

Today's singers are suffering from polyps, nodules and even hemorrhaging, the kind of severe damage that can shut down any booming voice, according to Dr. Shawn Nasseri, an otolaryngologist in Beverly Hills who treats many of the biggest money-making singers in the music business today.

It takes the coordination of the lungs, diaphragm, neck, voice box, throat and mouth to produce a voice, but it's when the vocal cords are brought together and vibrate that a pitch and tone are produced. Nasseri said for a singer suffering from a hemorrhaging polyp on their vocal cords... the polyp can cause the two vocal cords from meeting and give the person "absolutely no voice." ... Problems are easily developed with such high demands placed on popular singers by the new realities of the music business, which is now so dependent on touring, traveling and keeping an active public profile.

...

Even superstar music legends like Paul Stanley of KISS believe it's never too late to look after your voice. With thousands of performances and over four decades of touring, Stanley said those years of hitting screeching notes and high-octane stage raps can take their toll.

"As soon as you hit the stage, you are a complete idiot," he said. "People are cheering for you, so you do the impossible and when you don't have enough time to recuperate afterwards, it just catches up with you. Literally speaking my voice was cracking. It was cracking quite a bit on stage."

Those years of strain is why the KISS vocalist had surgery on his vocal cords this year by the noted Dr. Steven Zietels, an otolaryngologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center, who also operated on Adele.

"[Zietels] said my cords actually looked great for somebody who actually worked as much as I did and he did some minor things to mine," Stanley said. "It sounds way, way, way, way better."

It's good news for a nearly 60-year-old recording artist who is working on producing a new KISS album.

"I lead a pretty good healthy life and I think at some point that really plays into it. That whole cartoon lifestyle that some people think is key to being a rock star is your demise," Stanley said. "Treat your voice like an instrument. We take pretty good care of our guitars our violins and our pianos but we kind of take our voice for granted. You know, warm it up, warm it down and give it a chance to rest."

Paul's segment on ABC's Nightline has been moved to Tuesday night.

After preaching the gospel of rock and roll for almost 40 years, legendary KISS front man Paul Stanley was ready for a surgical tune up. Paul shares his thought with ABC's Nightline.

Have a safe and joyous New Year! Make it your resolution to live your life to the fullest and help others to be able to do the same.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season! I toast you all and wish you the best in the new year. In this time of celebration, I ask you to look out for your friends and loved ones and be safe in any way you choose to celebrate.

Paul

by CAROLYN ROBERTSON

KISS star Paul Stanley seemed in good spirits as he was spotted on his way to the Beverly Glen Market in Los Angeles, California yesterday with his wife Erin and their 2 1/2-year-old daughter Sarah (December 20). The couple's other kids - 5-year-old Colin and 4-month-old Emily Grace - weren't with them on this outing.

The pretty preschooler, who held tight to her rocker papa, was dressed all in purple, from her glittery boots to her braided headband. Love those blonde curls!

Set to celebrate his 60th birthday next month, Paul has an interesting new project in the works with his bandmates: A mini golf course! The attraction will open in Las Vegas next year and will feature an indoor glow-in-the-dark course, an arcade, a Kiss gallery and gift shop, “Hotter than Hell” wedding chapel and the “Rock ‘n Roll All Nite” Cafe.

Photos: Pacific Coast News

Almost 40 years later, what’s the secret sauce behind KISS?

The Wall Street Journal set out to answer this and many other questions when they sent a reporter from New York City to visit Paul’s home and art studio in Beverly Hills, CA. Among other things, Paul talked about the band’s secrets of success, his vastly-successful art career and his role as a producer on the upcoming KISS album scheduled for release in 2012.

Paul’s interview is tentatively scheduled to run at the end of December.