KISS's Paul Stanley Aims To Peel Away Rockstar Image With New Book

Not many people get to write two memoirs.

While KISS front man Paul Stanley has surely had an interesting few years since his last tome, his new book Backstage Pass isn't a reprise.

Stanley tells 710 WOR Tonight With Joe Concha and Lis Wiehl that the book deals specifically with the greatest challenges of his life and how he dealt with them (or should have dealt with them). The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer says Backstage Pass goes in depth on his successes, failures and insecurities in hopes of offering examples others.

"I always feel that the more secrets you reveal, the more you see how much you're like other people," Stanley tells the show. "For me, the whole star system of having people looking up to me — as though I'm a model of perfection — the more I can strip that away, the better. ...We all have the same issues, and really, the book gets into that."

Among other things, the book explores how Stanley's difficult childhood shaped his career ambitions. He also writes about how he learned to accept his parents for who they are as people.

The singer says lots of people can relate to the ups and downs of his relationship to his family.

"The truth is that what our parents — particularly my parents — did wasn't to intentionally hurt me or harm me, but there's certainly residual scarring or what have you," he added. "But at some point, you need to move forward and see the good. My parents meant well."

And being that Kiss has been a huge part of Stanley's life for close to 50 years, the singer assures the book revolves a lot around the band's history — Kisstory, as some would say — and the famously complex relationships between Kiss's four co-founding members.

Listen to the full WOR Tonight interview here or in the player above.

Backstage Pass is available everywhere now!

Kiss has 'End of the Road' farewell tour dates booked worldwide through December of this year. Get all the tour dates here.

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