Kiss Recall the Marketing Savvy of Manager Bill Aucoin in New ‘Biography: KISStory’ Clip

Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley explain how their manager Bill Aucoin shaped them into the make-up wearing, fire-spitting rock gods they became in a new clip from Biography: KISStory, airing in two-parts, June 27th and 28th, on A&E.

In the clip, Simmons remembers how Aucoin saw Kiss’ song “Firehoue” as an opportunity to introduce fire-spitting into their live show. “Literally the very first show we did, my hair went up like a fucking matchstick,” Simmons says, as accompanying archival footage of the incident plays. “And the fans loved it!”

Stanley then adds that it was Aucoin who came up with the idea for Kiss’ iconic make-up, while Simmons notes their manager’s unlikely inspiration. “He said to us, ‘Marilyn Monroe, she never took a photo where she looked frumpy without her make-up. Whenever you saw her Marilyn Monroe 24 hours a day. That’s what you guys should be doing.’”

Biography: KISStory was directed by D.J. Viola and will offer an in-depth look at the band’s 50 year career. Along with interviews with Simmons and Stanley, current Kiss members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer will appear in the doc, along with avowed Kiss fans like Dave Grohl and Tom Morello.