---
product_id: 713885
title: "Face the Music: A Life Exposed"
price: "₨40839"
currency: LKR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.lk/products/713885-face-the-music-a-life-exposed
store_origin: LK
region: Sri Lanka
---

# KISS co-founder & guitarist memoir NYT & Intl Bestseller Unique story of overcoming microtia Face the Music: A Life Exposed

**Price:** ₨40839
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎤 Face the Music: Where Rock Legends and Real Life Collide

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Face the Music: A Life Exposed
- **How much does it cost?** ₨40839 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.lk](https://www.desertcart.lk/products/713885-face-the-music-a-life-exposed)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Authentic & Relatable:** A memoir that connects on a human level, blending humor, pain, and wisdom for the modern reader.
- • **Iconic KISS Chronicles:** Exclusive behind-the-scenes tales of band drama, creative battles, and legendary performances.
- • **Never-Before-Seen Photos:** Visual journey through decades of rock history and personal moments.
- • **Raw Rock Star Revelations:** Dive deep into Paul Stanley’s unfiltered life story, from childhood struggles to rock legend status.
- • **Inspiring Triumph Over Adversity:** Discover how Paul turned a physical disability into unstoppable drive and success.

## Overview

Face the Music is the New York Times and International bestselling memoir by Paul Stanley, co-founder and frontman of KISS. It offers a candid, inspiring, and often surprising look at his life overcoming microtia, navigating fame, band dynamics, and personal challenges. Packed with exclusive photos and raw storytelling, this memoir is a must-read for fans and anyone drawn to stories of resilience and rock 'n' roll history.

## Description

NEW YORK TIMES and INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER In Face the Music , Paul Stanley—the co-founder and famous “Starchild” frontman of KISS—reveals for the first time the incredible highs and equally incredible lows in his life both inside and outside the band. Face the Music is the shocking, funny, smart, inspirational story of one of rock’s most enduring icons and the group he helped create, define, and immortalize. Stanley mixes compelling personal revelations and gripping, gritty war stories that will surprise even the most steadfast member of the KISS Army. He takes us back to his childhood in the 1950s and ’60s, a traumatic time made more painful thanks to a physical deformity. Born with a condition called microtia, he grew up partially deaf, with only one ear. But this instilled in him an inner drive to succeed in the most unlikely of pursuits: music. With never-before-seen photos and images throughout, Stanley’s memoir is a fully realized and unflinching portrait of a rock star, a chronicle of the stories behind the famous anthems, the many brawls and betrayals, and all the drama and pyrotechnics on and off the stage. Raw and confessional, Stanley offers candid insights into his personal relationships, and the turbulent dynamics with his bandmates over the past four decades. And no one comes out unscathed—including Stanley himself. “ People say I was brave to write such a revealing book, but I wrote it because I needed to personally reflect on my own life. I know everyone will see themselves somewhere in this book, and where my story might take them is why I’m sharing it.” —Paul Stanley

Review: Intoxicating and surprisingly human - This is a fascinating, unexpected and ultimately inspiring biography in which Stanley seems to shoot for a measure of raw honesty and mostly succeeds in doing so. It is both a triumph over adversity story and highs and lows of fame tale. There are moments where he seems bitter toward or angry with certain people and where he calculatedly allows his ego to shine through. But mostly you get the impression, he is extremely grateful for everything he has and has achieved, and is striving hard in this book to be balanced, tell his story with humility (and confidence where required) while imparting some hard earned and learned wisdom. Rock and roll excess is obviously a huge part of the story of Kiss and Mr Stanley's tome delivers on this handsomely. And while he never bogs himself down in grotty detail the way Peter Criss did in his 'Makeup to Breakup: My Life in and Out of Kiss', he doesn't dodge the bullet of his own addictive (sexual) fallibilities. The difference is that he has examined and come to terms with the aspects of his life that he seems to view as rock and roll behavioral shortcomings. At the same time, he doesn't diminish his enjoyment of them at the time or give the impression he is trying to distance himself from a past as a changed man. He charts his life and experiences as things that have made him the person he is today and he paints equally complex pictures of quite a number of the players in his life, including Gene Simmons. The highs and lows of life in Kiss, the good and bad advice they received, and the situations they found themselves in are evocatively told, often with hilarious self deprecation. But it is the well drawn character studies, the fascinating unlikely and previously untold reflections on the home and early life of a one eared boy so driven to be a rock star, the unexpected and honest charting of the loneliness and isolation of being a mega-famous but masked and therefore anonymous rock star, and the late career discovery of additional meaning that makes this book so riveting. It is amazing to learn about his levels of doubt as he charts the creation of each Kiss album and his quest for artistic credibility within the confines of a cartoon image rock band. This is one of the most uplifting rock biographies I have read. I could not put it down. And when I finished, I mourned that it was over. That is surely the sign of a great and very satisfying read. Highly recommended.
Review: Very interesting - I’m fascinated with the aspects of this biography regarding Paul’s experience growing up with microtia - it involves incredible emotional pain due to the bullying and insensitivity others have toward “differences” in school, as well as functioning as a disability. I cried reading his account of a teacher inspecting him. I would dare say his missing a right ear and the accompanying deafness on that side could have almost functioned as a developmental disability as it impacted learning in school years as well as impacted Paul’s social development (which he explains so well and came to understand how he avoided real intimacy, etc). He happened to have such tenacity to achieve and innate intellectual abilities honed by learning in other ways vs the traditional classroom, however, that it didn’t hold him down. I admire his insight to stay away from heavy drug use. He recognizes some may have greater issues with substance abuse due to genetic predispositions but for the most part seems to exercise some pretty amazing insight and self control given the availability of drugs to someone in his profession and associated music social circles. As a kid I found him very attractive in the makeup era, and fell in love with his voice as a frequent lead singer, especially on the song I was Made for Lovin’ You (had no idea it was considered too disco’ish by some as I was not a Kiss purist - just a young listener and it sounded great to me!!). I’m saddened as an adult to understand the debilitating substance issues a couple members had (as a young kid I assumed all rockers were druggies until I read Bruce Springsteen wasn’t. I avoid stereotyping as an adult. That’s a whole other essay!) and how it prevented all 4 original members from experiencing the good aspects Paul has gained from his 40 or so years as a founding kiss member (40 at the time this bio was written). If i didn’t have my own personal experiences I would not understand the heartbreak of dealing with addiction some experience. If anyone thinks Paul is a prick for not finding the magic way to keep a couple original kiss members from imploding on themselves - please know if you don’t know, that the CONSTANT babysitting, rescuing and beating your head against a wall because you just can’t perfectly meet their needs (saying just the right things - not being judgmental while ALSO not encouraging use) to prevent ongoing abuse can just plain wear you out. I see no betrayal here - I see empathy and then necessary pragmatism. Which may make me sound like a prick. I actually literally saw caring and empathy for these members in the documentary Kisstory, made a few years after this book came out. I could see genuine caring in both Paul and Gene’s gestures when they welcomed their band members back during a series of Kiss conventions. I saw Paul practically hug Peter onstage while introducing him and his accomplishments when he was about to sing the hit Beth in the earlier years - he seemed very proud and visibly nurturing in this one moment captured on film, like he was introducing his own son or something! I admit I’m overly attentive to nonverbal details of behavior sometimes and I just remember thinking how proud Paul seemed of Peter. It was touching to watch. There is no perfect way to deal with someone in the throws or waves of substance addiction after a while - you either allow yourself or others around you to get destroyed along with them, enable them to use, or finally step aside (and look like a prick). There are often no great outcomes - but often there is plenty of judgement of the non addict. And boy don’t we let each know on social media these days!! Anyway - as an adult who has been in the disability service field for over three decades - I just had to write this review to add my appreciation for Paul sharing his very human experiences, including those pertaining to a potentially disabling condition. It could be used in a psych, sociology or medical anthropology class as it shows a developmental journey and a very human slice of life in a particular time period. I mean, for example, what if Paul had been born in an earlier decade where growing out his hair wasn’t at all acceptable as it was in the late 60’s/70’s? What if his hair wasn’t naturally curly and bushy? Even though he makes it clear he suffered in various ways because he still KNEW he could be considered disfigured if someone knew about his missing ear, at least the 70’s era allowed him a little distance from some of the harsh reality (of how shitty people can be to each other for imperfections). During this time of “space” from harsh and cruel scrutiny for something over which he had no control, he was able to add life experiences to his repertoire from which he could draw some positivity, such as experiencing tangible results of his tenacity and labor, feeling success for something he worked for and accomplished, etc. it seems to have eventually led to more mature insight and development of coping mechanisms for when life knocks you down again and again, and self- acceptance. What if he’d been a teen in the 40’s and 50’s with no acceptable long hair in sight? He could have had such a sad outcome, despite all of his wonderful talent and qualities, just because of a physical difference. Our development is impacted by so many things. For his sake I’m glad a few things lined up to allow him to experience the happiness he seems to have found. He also certainly worked his ass off for what he wanted! He’s quite inspiring!

## Features

- memoir from KISS Paul Stanley
- rhythm guitarist for KISS

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 3,486 Reviews |

## Images

![Face the Music: A Life Exposed - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91JOH-Xhl5L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Intoxicating and surprisingly human
*by B***Y on April 6, 2015*

This is a fascinating, unexpected and ultimately inspiring biography in which Stanley seems to shoot for a measure of raw honesty and mostly succeeds in doing so. It is both a triumph over adversity story and highs and lows of fame tale. There are moments where he seems bitter toward or angry with certain people and where he calculatedly allows his ego to shine through. But mostly you get the impression, he is extremely grateful for everything he has and has achieved, and is striving hard in this book to be balanced, tell his story with humility (and confidence where required) while imparting some hard earned and learned wisdom. Rock and roll excess is obviously a huge part of the story of Kiss and Mr Stanley's tome delivers on this handsomely. And while he never bogs himself down in grotty detail the way Peter Criss did in his 'Makeup to Breakup: My Life in and Out of Kiss', he doesn't dodge the bullet of his own addictive (sexual) fallibilities. The difference is that he has examined and come to terms with the aspects of his life that he seems to view as rock and roll behavioral shortcomings. At the same time, he doesn't diminish his enjoyment of them at the time or give the impression he is trying to distance himself from a past as a changed man. He charts his life and experiences as things that have made him the person he is today and he paints equally complex pictures of quite a number of the players in his life, including Gene Simmons. The highs and lows of life in Kiss, the good and bad advice they received, and the situations they found themselves in are evocatively told, often with hilarious self deprecation. But it is the well drawn character studies, the fascinating unlikely and previously untold reflections on the home and early life of a one eared boy so driven to be a rock star, the unexpected and honest charting of the loneliness and isolation of being a mega-famous but masked and therefore anonymous rock star, and the late career discovery of additional meaning that makes this book so riveting. It is amazing to learn about his levels of doubt as he charts the creation of each Kiss album and his quest for artistic credibility within the confines of a cartoon image rock band. This is one of the most uplifting rock biographies I have read. I could not put it down. And when I finished, I mourned that it was over. That is surely the sign of a great and very satisfying read. Highly recommended.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very interesting
*by C***R on February 18, 2024*

I’m fascinated with the aspects of this biography regarding Paul’s experience growing up with microtia - it involves incredible emotional pain due to the bullying and insensitivity others have toward “differences” in school, as well as functioning as a disability. I cried reading his account of a teacher inspecting him. I would dare say his missing a right ear and the accompanying deafness on that side could have almost functioned as a developmental disability as it impacted learning in school years as well as impacted Paul’s social development (which he explains so well and came to understand how he avoided real intimacy, etc). He happened to have such tenacity to achieve and innate intellectual abilities honed by learning in other ways vs the traditional classroom, however, that it didn’t hold him down. I admire his insight to stay away from heavy drug use. He recognizes some may have greater issues with substance abuse due to genetic predispositions but for the most part seems to exercise some pretty amazing insight and self control given the availability of drugs to someone in his profession and associated music social circles. As a kid I found him very attractive in the makeup era, and fell in love with his voice as a frequent lead singer, especially on the song I was Made for Lovin’ You (had no idea it was considered too disco’ish by some as I was not a Kiss purist - just a young listener and it sounded great to me!!). I’m saddened as an adult to understand the debilitating substance issues a couple members had (as a young kid I assumed all rockers were druggies until I read Bruce Springsteen wasn’t. I avoid stereotyping as an adult. That’s a whole other essay!) and how it prevented all 4 original members from experiencing the good aspects Paul has gained from his 40 or so years as a founding kiss member (40 at the time this bio was written). If i didn’t have my own personal experiences I would not understand the heartbreak of dealing with addiction some experience. If anyone thinks Paul is a prick for not finding the magic way to keep a couple original kiss members from imploding on themselves - please know if you don’t know, that the CONSTANT babysitting, rescuing and beating your head against a wall because you just can’t perfectly meet their needs (saying just the right things - not being judgmental while ALSO not encouraging use) to prevent ongoing abuse can just plain wear you out. I see no betrayal here - I see empathy and then necessary pragmatism. Which may make me sound like a prick. I actually literally saw caring and empathy for these members in the documentary Kisstory, made a few years after this book came out. I could see genuine caring in both Paul and Gene’s gestures when they welcomed their band members back during a series of Kiss conventions. I saw Paul practically hug Peter onstage while introducing him and his accomplishments when he was about to sing the hit Beth in the earlier years - he seemed very proud and visibly nurturing in this one moment captured on film, like he was introducing his own son or something! I admit I’m overly attentive to nonverbal details of behavior sometimes and I just remember thinking how proud Paul seemed of Peter. It was touching to watch. There is no perfect way to deal with someone in the throws or waves of substance addiction after a while - you either allow yourself or others around you to get destroyed along with them, enable them to use, or finally step aside (and look like a prick). There are often no great outcomes - but often there is plenty of judgement of the non addict. And boy don’t we let each know on social media these days!! Anyway - as an adult who has been in the disability service field for over three decades - I just had to write this review to add my appreciation for Paul sharing his very human experiences, including those pertaining to a potentially disabling condition. It could be used in a psych, sociology or medical anthropology class as it shows a developmental journey and a very human slice of life in a particular time period. I mean, for example, what if Paul had been born in an earlier decade where growing out his hair wasn’t at all acceptable as it was in the late 60’s/70’s? What if his hair wasn’t naturally curly and bushy? Even though he makes it clear he suffered in various ways because he still KNEW he could be considered disfigured if someone knew about his missing ear, at least the 70’s era allowed him a little distance from some of the harsh reality (of how shitty people can be to each other for imperfections). During this time of “space” from harsh and cruel scrutiny for something over which he had no control, he was able to add life experiences to his repertoire from which he could draw some positivity, such as experiencing tangible results of his tenacity and labor, feeling success for something he worked for and accomplished, etc. it seems to have eventually led to more mature insight and development of coping mechanisms for when life knocks you down again and again, and self- acceptance. What if he’d been a teen in the 40’s and 50’s with no acceptable long hair in sight? He could have had such a sad outcome, despite all of his wonderful talent and qualities, just because of a physical difference. Our development is impacted by so many things. For his sake I’m glad a few things lined up to allow him to experience the happiness he seems to have found. He also certainly worked his ass off for what he wanted! He’s quite inspiring!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ read this before you buy the book
*by E***3 on April 26, 2014*

having just finished reading this book, I have been anxious to express my views on it. first, I will say I have been a KISS fan since 1977. my interest waned after unmasked came out but after my first KISS show in 1984, I was back a big fan, although the non makeup years are most certainly my least favorite. anyways, onto the book. first off, the things that resound with this book, which I can also relate to, are personal growth, and maturity. as a kid, ace and peter were by far my favorite members, most especially ace. I liked gene because he was in kiss, and paul....I honestly saw paul as 'gay' and my least fav, but still, he was in KISS so I accepted that. ace and peter to me were the cool ones. as I've gotten older, I can now honestly say that paul has most certainly gained the most respect and I see him as truly inspiring..not so much from overcoming his ear deformity or enduring a childhood without much support, but growing as an individual and finding unmeasurable happiness and pleasure in his later years of life. paul appears to be a true gentleman who is generous, wise, sincere and of course, talented. KISS has always been portrayed as four men with distinct personalities...gene the business mogul, paul the queen, peter the guts and ace the rock star. nothing can be further from the truth. what you will discover is gene, was not the business behind the band he wants you to believe, gene is and was in the business of GENE. peter, is an arrogant, complaining miserable man who doesn't appreciate what has been given to him in life..and ace, as tommy thayer simply and effectively sums up, is a " f*#@ing loser". and as you grow older and wiser, you will understand this. one thing about this book that I never once would have believed about myself, is that I fully understand why paul and gene were so adamant about including tommy and eric in the hall of shame, and accepting them as full fledged members. I know being a fan from the 70s, ace and peter will always be the spaceman and cat respectively, the fact that those two knuckleheads sold the rights to their makeup should prove that they truly don't care and they were the ones infact who played just for the money. I had no idea about pauls ears condition or his parents lack of affection when he was growing up. the fact that paul took care of his parents financially when he could and speaks of them in high regard and with love, shows what kind of a man paul is. the book chronicles paul's life from childhood to modern day. certainly, if he went into detail over every year the book would have been twice as long as it is, but at almost 500 pages, it was tough to put down and you really were left with wanting more. the band drama I have to say is the most entertaining element of the book and paul doesn't hold back, although this certainly is not a bitch fest or whine fest. I have to say though, with the amount of dirt exposed on peter, I was quite surprised paul made no mention to peter's wife, Lydia. it should be noted as well that of all the individual books and full on KISS books out there, Lydia's book is truly one heck of a good read and really digs deep into peter's nonsense. also, I was surprised paul made no mention of his second solo record, as well as key moments in KISSTORY including talk of the paul lynde special which by all accounts is when KISS became a household name, Cadillac Michigan, or going into much detail about tours or individual shows. as I said, the book would had to have been twice as long but I believe KISS fans would have eaten it up. although gene portrays himself to be Mr KISS, it is paul who undoubtedly is the man responsible for KISS being where they are today. gene is about himself and making a dollar, when it comes to KISS, paul was the one with the most writing ability and the one who respected the band as a 'band'. you will find yourself at peace with tommy and eric in the band, as thru them, they make KISS a more solid, talented and drama free band. with ace and peter, you get two guys who truly don't appreciate the gifts life has given them and deserve to be exactly where they are today. paul is a man to be respected, admired and someone anyone can truly learn from. the last few chapters especially were some of the most uplifting and positive messages I ever read about life and happiness. this is the book that needed to be written, now go read it. note: my reason for 4 stars was I would have loved to have seen more pictures, and I would have enjoyed it to be longer going into more detail. also of note, aside from a small picture caption, he made no mention of his mothers passing

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.lk/products/713885-face-the-music-a-life-exposed](https://www.desertcart.lk/products/713885-face-the-music-a-life-exposed)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Sri Lanka*
*Store origin: LK*
*Last updated: 2026-08-14*