Paul Stanley, the iconic KISS frontman known for his theatrical makeup, turned heads on Thursday when he stepped out bare-faced in Los Angeles—a rare sight for fans accustomed to his signature look.
The 73-year-old rock legend—who, alongside Gene Simmons, co-founded the groundbreaking band in the 1970s—was spotted in a laid-back ensemble of a jacket and faded jeans while out with his 16-year-old daughter, Sarah Brianna Stanley.
The father-daughter duo exited Beverly Glen Deli, with Stanley exuding the effortless rockstar presence that has defined his decades-long career.
Stanley shares Sarah with his wife Erin Sutton, whom he married in 2005, and together they also have two younger children, 13-year-old Emily and 18-year-old Colin.
He is also father to Evan Stanley, 30, from his previous marriage to actress Pamela Bowen.
Even without the dramatic black-and-white face paint, Stanley still looked every inch the rock legend, his famous long hair and mischievous glint in his eye unmistakable.
Paul Stanley , the iconic KISS frontman known for his theatrical, playfully demonic makeup , turned heads on Thursday when he stepped out bare-faced in Los Angeles—a rare sight for fans accustomed to his signature look; (seen in 2013)
Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer and Gene Simmons of Kiss attend the ‘America’s Got Talent’ Season 13 Finale Live Show in 2018
When KISS burst onto the scene in the 1970s, they weren’t just another rock band—they were a spectacle.
Their theatrical makeup and larger-than-life personas set them apart from the era’s other glam and hard rock acts.
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‘At the same time that we were forming in New York, there was a very big glitter scene, where boys were basically acting like girls and putting on makeup,’ Simmons recalled in a 1996 interview with Porkchops & Applesauce, per Far Out.
‘Well, we were more like football players — all of us were over 6 feet tall — and it just wasn’t convincing!’
Instead of following the glam trend, KISS carved out their own lane, using face paint to create striking, otherworldly alter egos.
Simmons became The Demon, Stanley transformed into Starchild, Ace Frehley took on the role of Spaceman, and Peter Criss embodied Catman.
The formula was a resounding success: Across four decades and 44 albums, KISS shattered records, selling over 100 million copies worldwide and etching their name into rock history.
Their legacy reached an official milestone in 2014 when they earned a coveted spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The 73-year-old rock legend—who, alongside Gene Simmons , co-founded the groundbreaking band in the 1970s —was spotted in a laid-back ensemble of a jacket and faded jeans while out with his 16-year-old daughter, Sarah Brianna Stanley
Stanley exuding the effortless rockstar presence that has defined his decades-long career
When KISS burst onto the scene in the 1970s, they weren’t just another rock band—they were a spectacle: their theatrical makeup and larger-than-life personas set them apart from the era’s other glam and hard rock acts; (seen on right in 2021)
But their signature style wasn’t always polished.
‘The very first pictures we took when the band first got together, we looked like drag queens,’ Simmons admitted. ‘But we knew we wanted to get outlandish.’
‘Getting up onstage was almost a holy place for us, like church, so being onstage looking like a bum wasn’t my idea of respect,’ Simmons explained.
‘That’s where the makeup and dressing up came in. It would have obviously been a lot easier to get up onstage in jeans and t-shirts and go, ‘Okay, here we are — we’re the Ramones!’ And that would have been just as valid, but it would not have been honest.’
The band’s signature looks weren’t meticulously planned—they were born from instinct.
‘I just remember being in a loft in downtown New York and looking in the mirror and just starting to draw,’ Simmons recalled. ‘It was very stream-of-consciousness. What you see is really what just happened… Nobody else was involved.’
While the makeup became their signature, KISS stunned the world in 1983 by appearing in an MTV interview completely unmasked.
While the makeup became their signature, KISS stunned the world in 1983 by appearing in an MTV interview completely unmasked; (Simmons and Stanley in 2023)
When KISS burst onto the scene in the 1970s, they weren’t just another rock band—they were a spectacle; (seen in 2023)
The formula was a resounding success: Across four decades and 44 albums, KISS shattered records, selling over 100 million copies worldwide and etching their name into rock history
‘To me, it doesn’t feel all that different because I’ve seen these guys more often without makeup than I have with makeup,’ Stanley said at the time.
‘Everybody hated it,’ Simmons later admitted, according to Yahoo. ‘People didn’t want the paint to come off, but you know what? Tough. It had to happen.’
Their grand return to makeup and full costume came on February 28, 1996, when the original four members made a surprise appearance at the Grammys—fully decked out for the first time in 17 years.
Despite decades of speculation about who first introduced the idea of the makeup, Simmons recently reflected on the band’s evolution in a June 2024 appearance on Steve-O’s Wild Ride! podcast.
‘Nobody who was ever in KISS can ever lay claim to saying, “I’ve got a brilliant idea, everybody should put on makeup. Let’s wear more makeup and higher heels than your mommy ever did.” Nobody did, it just happened,’ Simmons explained.
Even now, the KISS aesthetic remains one of the most instantly recognizable in rock history.
And while Paul Stanley’s recent outing showed him without the signature paint, his presence alone was enough to remind the world why KISS remains larger than life.
