Ace Frehley and Peter Criss Respond to Paul Stanley’s Anti-Semitic Accusations
These days, it seems like everyone has an opinion about the long-running feud between Kiss leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley and their former bandmates Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. But as Frehley reminded us in a recent interview, most of that stuff is just talk, and it doesn't erase the bond created by their shared musical legacy.
Reached for comment regarding passages in Stanley's new memoir accusing him of anti-Semitic behavior, Frehley seemed to chalk the whole thing up to his old sparring partner needing to sell books. "We say good things about each other and we say bad things about each other [in our memoirs], but it is what it is," he shrugged. "It's rock and roll. I mean, if all we did was pat each other on the back for every book, people would say, 'That's a boring book.' They want to hear the dirt. I've got plenty of dirt."
Meanwhile, Criss took a slightly less relaxed approached to the whole thing, telling TMZ that he's not a racist, and that in fact his favorite aunt was Jewish. But, he also said he's not going to bother suing Stanley.
Fans should have an opportunity to read more Kiss dirt in the not-too-distant future, as Frehley says he's at work on a new book of his own; as he put it, "I could write five books on my life, it's that interesting." But he quickly added that he doesn't "want to go tit for tat" in the mudslinging game -- and he doesn't expect there to be any tension when Kiss members past and present congregate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony later this month.
"Beelieve it or not, every time the four of us get together, even though it's been a long span of time, we're still brothers in rock and roll," explained Frehley. "At least that's the way I feel. If it's not going to be that way, I'd be surprised." He also told Fuse that he's accepted an invitation to perform at the traditional evening-closing all-star jam session. Gee, we wonder what song they're going to play?