Paul Stanley became a rock legend with Kiss. Four soul singers shaped his musical foundations

Paul Stanley’s work with Soul Station showed a side of his musical interests that Kiss’s stadium-rock identity often obscured. He said soul music had shaped his singing and musical foundations, and described the project as a long-held passion rather than a novelty.

Stanley released *Now and Then* with Paul Stanley’s Soul Station in 2015, performing songs associated with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Solomon Burke and Otis Redding. He recalled hearing classical music, Italian opera, bluegrass and R&B while growing up, and seeing Redding and Burke as a child. Kiss’s members had earlier released solo albums on the same day to project unity, even as the band was close to splitting up.