Backstage Pass: The KISS Front Man's Candid Memoir on Rock N Roll Success, Discipline, and Life Lessons

by Paul Stanley

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The  New York Times  bestselling author and front man and rhythm guitarist of KISS grants fans an all-access backstage pass to his personal life and shows them how to pursue a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle of their own, offering hard-won advice from a music legend.

In this follow-up to his popular bestseller  Face the Music , the Starchild takes us behind the scenes, revealing what he’s learned from a lifetime as the driving force of KISS, and how he brings his unique sensibility not only to his music career but to every area of his life—from business to parenting to health and happiness. Backstage Pass takes you beyond the makeup as Paul shares fascinating details about his life—his fitness routine, philosophy, business principles, how he maintains his inspiration, passion, and joy after nearly 50 years of mega success including selling out tours, 100 million albums sold and an art career that has amassed over 10 million dollars in sales. Divulging more true stories of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s relationships, hardships, and pivotal moments, it also contains intimate four-color, never-before-seen photos from Paul’s personal collection, and offers surprising lessons on the discipline and hard work that have made him one of the healthiest and most successful rock ‘n’ roll icons in history. This is the book for fans who love living large, but also want to take control and move ahead in everyday life. Paul shows you how you can rock ‘n’ roll all night and party every day—without missing a beat.  

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Audiobook

240 pages, Paperback

Published August 18, 2020

About the author

Paul Stanley is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and painter. Since the early 1970’s he has been the guitarist, co-lead vocalist, flamboyant frontman, and “Starchild” of Kiss, one the most influential and successful rock bands. Paul Stanley and the original members of Kiss were finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 after 15 years of eligibility.

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Michelle Mullens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought it at a book signing to I got a fist pump out of the deal! This is like the philosophical side of our Starchild. I can't imagine getting a lot out of this if you haven't read Face the Music ( which I think is a terrific rock star autobiography). Nor is it an intro book if you haven't been a KISS fan ( good and bad years). I appreciated his views and pathway to where he is now. None of us are the same we were in the 70's & 80's & we can't change the past. I follow him & other rock stars on social media & he is very engaging & respectful to his fans, more so than many others. Some may mock his attempt at being a Life Coach but think of how many of our generation haven't made it to this point even alive, much less well. I would also recommend his 2 books for any young people wanting to make in the music business and not become a tragic statistic.

[Bobbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected

I wasn't expecting a book from Paul as a life coach . Not a book about KISS at all so be warned.

[Eric Wroblewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not incredibly insightful. More of a "look what I did" than anything else

[Albert Buchatskyy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been a big KISS fan since I was 13 (for 30 years already) and honestly, I hated this book. Not even because it's not about KISS... I mean... A guy who's lip-syncing 70% of every show right now (KISS is touring Europe while we speak) wants to tell me how I should live my life. So basically it's 230 pages of total bulls*it we've heard in each and every Paul's interview for the last two decades.

Want a short review? "I'm great, I'm so great, blah-blah, I've been bullied in school, blah-blah, I've never done a single wrong thing in my life, blah-blah, my family, my family, my kids, my family, blah-blah, cooking, painting, blah-blah, Ace and Peter are the worst, blah-blah, I'm a way better singer than I used to be, the end."

As I said, total bulls*it. Don't waste your time.

[Alex Dimaio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beside the money grab I’m not sure why he wrote this. Boring.

[Sushi (寿司)]

Yes, I have three editions of this book. Ebook, paperback and Audio CD.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Self help with Paul Stanley. OK.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book from a guy who not long ago threatened violence against stage crew workers and fans whom displeased him, but is now giving advice on how to proceed in life. It would have been much more interesting now that he has two daughters, to learn in this 'me-too' era what he thinks about advocating sex with underage girls like he has on concert tours, or performing on songs written by his band-mate Gene Simmons about relationships with underage girls. He claims drugs are bad, but does not write about how he used to hold liquor bottles in front of his teen age audiences and encourage them to drink. It appears he may be considering becoming a motivational speaker based on the style and content of this book. Ouch.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common sense and passion

Paul Stanley is a man who wears many hats. All of them have one thing in common. A desire to succeed combined with a passion for self satisfaction. For me it will always be the epitome of what a Rock Star and front man should be. That is the man that resonates with me, but if you think that's all he is, you are sadly mistaken. Simply stated, he is and has always be my muse and my musical idol for many reasons. Long live The Starchild!

[Brian L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical rock and roll story, but as a long time fan I did find the book inspiring. The hard work and dedication to craft is what makes Paul as well as the band who they are today. I very much enjoyed the encouragement to try new things and to grow and to always seek to be the best version of oneself. For me, the book was very enlightening and enjoyable.

[Susan Crowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love him!!! What an awesome person he is!!
Very disappointed he didn't narrate this one. But Sean Pratt did a great job.

[KariG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Älä alistu vallitsevaan olotilaan. Ota ensimmäinen askel rohkeasti, koska et voi tietää mihin se sinut johtaa. Opi rakastamaan itseäsi. Tee töitä menestykseksi eteen ja iloitse saavutuksistasi, mutta älä hanki menestystä toisia loukkaamalla. Innostu uusista asioista. Yritä. Älä kysy itseltäsi "miksi?", vaan "miksi ei?"

KISSin hittibiisien tekijä kertoo kirjassaan omia elämänohjeitaan ja näkemyksiään. Teksti on helppolukuista, mutta samalla myös valitettavan kevyttä - siis ainakin sellaiselle, jolla elämä on edes hieman raiteillaan. Toisaalta voin kuvitella, kuinka tärkeiltä Stanleyn sanat tuntuvat epävarmoista ja elämässään eksyksissä olevista henkilöistä. Tekstin toimivuus riippuu siis pitkälti omasta elämäntilanteestasi. Kaikesta huolimatta Backstage-passi on kiinnostava lisä KISS-fanien kirjakokoelmiin.

[Eero Sipilä · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is Paul Stanley the most brilliant musical mind of the last 100 years? - No

Is he one of the mere handful people in the world who have bonded a successfull musical career of 45+ years with a fulfilling personal life? - Yes

Overall the book is fairly repetitive and definitely annoying for many readers, and Stanley’s manner of claiming how everything in life comes down to positive attitude is clearly simplistic. However, I did recognize a fair amount of potent thought patterns which I felt I could adapt into my own life, and even with all the book’s weaknesses, I did enjoy the read.

[Monical · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this book up at the library for a quick read. Well, it certainly was a quick read, but almost not worth that effort! I thought this book would be about Stanley's music career with KISS. Turns out, according to this book, he's already written an autobiography that included his participation in KISS. I'm actually not much of a KISS fan, and don't know much about their music. This book assumed that I knew a lot of the KISS backstory and much about Stanley himself. Since I don't have this background, this book, which is a bunch of philosophical musings, didn't mean anything to me. and I'm not interested enough to follow up on other Stanley books.

[Olli-Pekka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Paul Stanley luettelee latteita elämänohjekliseitä ja samalla toimii itse niiden vastaisesti. Teksti on poukoilevaa ajatuksenvirtaa. Enpä muista koska olisin lukenut näin surullisen säälittävää elämänlaatu-opasta. Vahva suositus: jättäkää lukematta.

Mutta jotain hyvääkin. Kirjan ohessa kuuntelin pitkästä aikaa KISS:n tuotantoa läpi huomatakseni yhtyeen viimeistenkin levyjen olevan simppelin kiinostavaa rokkenrollia.

[Daniel Westman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Paul Stanley från Kiss slår sig själv för bröstet och agerar livscoach. Om du gillar plattityder, självgodhet och magiskt tråkiga matkapitel så är det här boken för dig. Är du intresserad av Kiss så föreslår jag att du läser hans första bok istället.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars because this KISS fan likes hearing anecdotes from his life and to rate it anything less would feel
like a betrayal.

[Sushi (寿司)]

Yes, I have three editions of this book. Ebook, paperback and Audio CD.

[Sushi (寿司)]

Yes, I have three editions of this book. Ebook, paperback and Audio CD.

[Dewey Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have learned I would rather hang out with Paul than Gene.

[David Cavaco · Rating 3 out of 5]

KISS icon Paul Stanley shares his life experiences and positive outlook on life. Who knew that aside from being a talented musician, painter, and chef - he is also an effective lifestyle mentor? For rockers out there, this book says little about KISS and their music, but more about the Starchild's personal adversities. A quick and decent read.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As other reviews have mentioned, for Paul's chronological life journey, read Face the Music. Backstage Pass is a compilation of Paul's life lessons and philosophical musings that makes an excellent reading pairing with Face the Music. Paul has succeeded in doing what too few people who grew up physically and/or emotionally handicapped have been able to do. By virtue of his celebrity Paul is able to share his emotional journey with the world in a way an average person is likely not. Much I resonated with, some I did not; everything he writes is important -- *especially* for those who want to wallow in self pity and blame everyone except themselves for unhappy lives. It is up to each of us, and no one else, to make our lives the best they can be. Thanks, Paul, you're an inspiration!

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOUGHT IN AUDIOBOOKS FROM KOBO

While interesting, I didn’t like it as much as his first book. He narrated the first himself but not this book which disappointed me. However, I gave 4 stars instead of 3 only because I loved his message. Through positivity and hard work, Paul inspires a person to push on and DO it, whatever that may be.

[Lance Lumley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stanley's 2nd book is more of his views on life and things he learned throughout the years, especially in the past 20 years or so, from letting go of grudges to his views on family. Unlike his first book, Face The Music, the Kiss stories are only to explain his thoughts, and are far and between, but it doesn't hurt the book at all; this is still a good read , especially for fans of Stanley's, who would like to know why he took up painting and other aspects in his life that many do not see.
For an in depth review, go to my page at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/201...

[Greg Milani · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

To people who thought this was a book mainly about KISS, it takes about two minutes to read the back and inside cover.

This is not a KISS book. Going into this with that knowledge, I still wanted to hear Paul's thoughts on his life and experiences.

Unfortunately, everything being said in this book is so surface level and repetitive that it was hard to really keep anything he was trying to say with me.

This book is about as in depth as a "Live, Laugh, Love" sign. In fact, you'll probably learn just as much from drinking too much wine in a kitchen with that sign as you would from reading this.

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I LOVE Paul Stanley and gave his first book 5 stars. This one....... well first of all it was very dull and boring. Secondly and the main reason I gave it 1 star; All during the first book he complained about Peter Criss. I let it go because the rest of the book was good. But during this 2nd book - all this complaining about Peter Criss is not necessary. It's petty. Get over it Paul. You don't need to write 2 books to insult a former band member.

[Iridian Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I ordered this book. I found it really inspiring and motivating because that’s what this book is: motivational. It’s not all gossip, secrets, and behind the scenes. He talks about how he looks at life and why. I really enjoyed this book and I honestly needed something like this to read, hearing it come from a rock legend is pretty amazing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jim H · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really disappointed in this book. Glad I got it at the library before buying it. I love Paul Stanley. Loved his first book. Just not sure what this one is. Not really autobiography. Not really self-help. Not really inspirational. It's the book equivalent to a KISS greatest hits album put out just to fulfill a contract.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think a lot of the reviews for this book are unfair. If you go into it thinking you're going to get a tell-all about the history and inner workings of KISS, you're not going to be satisfied. If you go in knowing what it's about - it's a great book. Very interesting to know more about Paul's personal life and mindset, as well as getting some life lessons and philosophical points along the way.

[Michael Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Stanley of the band KISS has a second book out. The first book was a rock biography. This one is basically the 68-year old greasepainted- rocker's advice on life, health, mind, body and spirit. It is not a KISS book, but I truly enjoyed his stories and ideas.