PAUL STANLEY Says GENE SIMMONS Is 'Clearly Irreplaceable' As Member Of KISS

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley spoke to the Austin American-Statesman about the intraband tensions that ultimately resulted in the group's original guitarist, Ace Fehley, and drummer, Peter Criss, becoming permanently replaced by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, respectively.

"We were on the path of success, but that ultimately led us away from what we formed as and why," he said. "We could have gone out and sang 'It's A Small World'. It lost the essence of what we believed in and loved in the middle of it. And it's all part of this amazing story. As far as Ace and Peter, we created something terrific and had the potential to be monumental, but ultimately not with them. We wouldn't be here today with them."

Stanley also reiterated his view that his longtime KISS collaborator Gene Simmons is like a brother and that their four-decade partnership works in spite of, or because of, their differences.

"I think [being provocative is] part of who he is," Stanley said. "Why we do what we do is rooted in our childhood and our experiences. He likes to shock or annoy people and he does that very well. He's also a terrific partner and somebody who is clearly irreplaceable."

Simmons previously told Classic Rock magazine about his relationship with Stanley: "Paul is the soul of KISS and I'm… the cock. Paul is much more emotional, and I'm drier. Paul will go see romantic movies, I'll throw up at them." Singer offered his own perspective, telling the magazine: "Gene loves the sound of his own voice, we all know that. But nothing happens in KISS unless Paul Stanley says it does."

After weeks of bad-mouthing each other in the press, the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, with all four — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss — delivering warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.

KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.