Backstage Pass

by Paul Stanley

Overview

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.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063041820
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/18/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	383,365
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Paul Stanley is the frontman and rhythm guitarist for KISS, which he cofounded in New York City in 1973. He is the designer of numerous KISS album covers, costumes, and concert stages, in addition to writing many of KISS's most successful songs. With sales of more than one hundred million records worldwide, KISS sits atop the list of American bands, with the most gold-certified albums earned in history. Along with his bandmates, Stanley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. A painter, with art sales reaching two million dollars; a solo musician; a musical stage performer; founding partner in Rock & Brews restaurants; and co-owner of the Arena Football League's L.A. KISS, Stanley is a committed and active supporter of various Wounded Warrior Project organizations. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Erin, and four children.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 Business and Success

1 Let the Past Be the Past 11

2 Be Tough on Yourself, but Always Be Your Own Biggest Fan 21

3 Every Success Starts with Knowing the Difference Between a Dream and a Fantasy 31

4 A Fighting Optimism 43

5 The Only Rule Should Be: No Rules 51

6 Own Your Actions, Own Your Outcome 63

Part 2 Relationships and Family

7 Live for Others and Live Forever 79

8 Life Becomes Worthwhile When We Make Others Feel Worthwhile 87

9 The Boundaries We Inherit Limit the Distance We Can Travel 99

10 Strive to Raise the Bar, Not to Lower It 111

11 Understand the Why and Struggle Less with the Why Not 119

Part 3 Self, Health, and Happiness

12 Kick the Bucket List 133

13 Choosing Your Battles Means You Win More Often 141

14 When You Find the True Meaning in What You've Accomplished, You'll Fall in Love All Over Again 153

15 Vanity Isn't Narcissism 165

18 Pride in What We Do Is Pride in Who We Are 179

17 If We Keep Moving Forward, We Never Finish the Journey 195

Outro 217

Addendum 223

Acknowledgments 227

Editorial Reviews

03/18/2019

In this entertaining memoir cum lifestyle guide, Kiss singer Stanley (Face the Music) presents himself as a changed man: “I’ve achieved not only traditional success but also the peace of mind that allows me to see things in a different light.” Having dealt with his past hardships, and with Kiss now reestablished as a successful touring band, Stanley felt obligated to give his fans a “backstage pass” in the form of this work, a distillation of his thoughts on and approaches to success (“Be tough on yourself, but always be your own biggest fan”; “kick the bucket list”) to help readers establish “an effective outlook that will influence every aspect of your life.” Covering his experiences in business, health, and parenting, Stanley is relentlessly optimistic: “Have a passionate plan to get from point A to point B” and “We can’t know what’s behind a door if we don’t open it.” Stanley shares some stories about Kiss, but they are geared to illuminate his message of positive thinking, such as the reason why Peter Criss, the original Kiss drummer, undermined a reunion tour: “his failure to commit to being the best he could be, his lack of wanting to do the work.” Stanley proves to be an insightful writer, and his advice just might reach beyond the Kiss fan base. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly