Paul Stanley Responds To Rock Hall Chief’s Racism Accusations
Earlier this week, the CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame accused Kiss front man Paul Stanley of making “borderline racist" statements about rap music. Now Stanley has responded to the inflammatory (and as you'll see, seemingly misinformed) charges.
Responding to Peresman’s statement in a new interview, the singer chalked up the Hall chief’s comments to basic resentment. “The guy is clearly reeling from my exposing the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for what it is,” he said. “He's doing damage control. But he's obviously never had an adversary who could articulate a point of view like I could. And, in desperation, he's attributing [bandmate] Gene's [Simmons] quotes to me.”
Stanley is referring to an interview that Simmons gave to Radio.com two months prior to Kiss’ induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Kiss bassist declared, “You go on with your bad self and get more disco artists…You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Run-D.M.C. in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? You’re killing me! That doesn’t mean those aren’t good artists. But they don’t play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing…They can run their organization any way they’d like, but it ain’t rock! It just isn’t! If you don’t play guitar and you don’t write your own songs, you don’t belong there.”
After dismissing Perseman's accusations, Stanley continued with his assault on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "I've spoken first hand with other inductees, and former inductees, and the process leading up to their induction was filled with really appropriate courtesies that were not afforded to us. The rules that [the Rock Hall] hold to only seem to apply to people they don't like. As far as the issue of what members and former members get in, it's just nonsense. I don't think anybody's ever called Peresman on it with any articulate argument. Clearly, the guy is trying to punch his way off of the ropes. He's stuck!”