Paul Stanley Still Feels Like a 'Freak'

Posted on Nov 15th 2012 1:30PM by Carlos Ramirez Comments

Brian Lowe

"I absolutely still feel like a freak. That's a state of mind. It has nothing to do with how much money you have or how successful you are," Paul Stanley tells Noisecreep.

The KISS vocalist/guitarist is referring to "Freak," a track he co-wrote with guitarist Tommy Thayer that appears on Monster, the iconic group's new album.

Spending his teenage years in Queens, N.Y., Stanley, 60, says he always felt like an outsider, but he's come to peace with that all these years later. "So am I a freak? Of course I am. But I'm proud to be one. Just look at what I'm doing every night. Look at how I live. I'm not rebelling against anything, because the ultimate rebellion is to live your life your own way.

"Anyone that thinks being a successful person, or a millionaire, rules out feeling like a freak and makes you conventional... sorry. The two co-exist proudly. You can become a big success because you're a freak and that's the ultimate win-win."

Listen to 'Freak'

Noisecreep grew up a few miles away from Stanley in Queens, so we asked him about his memories there. "I didn't have the greatest childhood, but you could have transported me to any other place in the world and I would have had the same problems. Queens was fine. For the first 7+ years of my life, I lived in uptown Manhattan. So when we moved to Queens – so help me God – I thought we were going to see grizzly bears [laughs]. All of a sudden, we had trees on the street! I was stunned. I thought I was going to run into Lassie [laughs].

"Queens might have been a half hour drive into Manhattan, but it might as well been a 5-hour flight. For someone from Manhattan, Queens looked like Minnesota. I lived in Kew Garden Hills, the poor side of the tracks from Forest Hills. I lived on 70th Rd. and Main Street," Stanley reveals.

The singer then asks me what part of Queens I'm from and I tell him between Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. "That's cool. Gene [Simmons] grew up in Jackson Heights," he says. "He also taught at Newtown High School before KISS made it."

Of course being I graduated from there, and being the KISS nerd I am, I already knew that.



KISS 20th studio album, Monster, is out now and available on iTunes and Amazon.

Filed under: News, Interview

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Lisa

The wig makes him look like a freak.

December 14 2012 at 9:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
papamav

Freak is an awesome song. The whole new album is great. I knew from the minute i heard it Paul was reffering to himself. Being a KISS nerd, i know that Paul has a thing called a microtia. That is a deformation of the cartalidge on the outside of the ear. I belieave it is his right ear. He is deaf in that ear. Actually, i think he had surgery to fix the problem, and i think he can now hear somewhat in that ear. Thats why he grew his hair out. Paul is my favorite member of KISS, and i know he is very dedicated to what he does, and is a very proud person.

November 16 2012 at 6:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DD Verny

The singer then asks me what part of Queens I'm from and I tell him between Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. "That's cool. Gene [Simmons] grew up in Jackson Heights," he says

November 15 2012 at 1:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DD Verny

"Queens might have been a half hour drive into Manhattan, but it might as well been a 5-hour flight. For someone from Manhattan, Queens looked like Minnesota. I lived in Kew Garden Hills, the poor side of the tracks from Forest Hills. I lived on 70th Rd. and Main Street," Stanley reveals.........

November 15 2012 at 1:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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