Ace Frehley phot by Jayme Thornton
Fans know him as Space Ace, the swaggering guitarist for Kiss, who unwittingly ignited ‘70s classics like Kiss (1974), Destroyer (1976), and Love Gun (1977). With Kiss, Frehley ascended higher than he could have imagined. Still, his penchant for imbibing drugs and alcohol, and his tendency to err toward the bizarre, led to his quitting Kiss in 1982, a decision that he sometimes regrets, and others claim “saved” his life.
Frehley fancies himself the “true sound of Kiss,” which may or may not be true. Of course, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons wouldn’t agree, not that Frehley cares. “I constantly read on the internet about how I was the sound of Kiss,” Frehley tells ClassicRockHistory.com.
The original Spaceman, bullish as he can be, admits that he would have enjoyed one last trip around the sun with his former bandmates. “I would have liked to give it one last shot,” he admits. “I would have liked to go on the road with Kiss one last time, and give the fans what they asked for, but it wasn’t to be. I’m just happy to be alive and making music.”
Despite semi-successful solo records like 1987’s Frehley’s Comet and 1989’s Trouble Walkin’, Frehley drank and drugged himself through the ‘80s. And despite claims of sobriety during Kiss’s reunion era from 1996 to 2002, Ace wasn’t sober then, either.
But that’s all behind Frehley now. He claims to be sober since 2006, and given his recorded output and rigorous touring schedule, who can argue? To that, if Ace Frehley gives a single damn about what Kiss is doing now, his latest record, 2024’s 10,000 Volts, doesn’t show it.
Meanwhile, the Kiss machine, in all its semi-confusing, sometimes retiring, but also not, glory, rolls on. Frehley shrugs when asked if he was tabbed for inclusion in Kiss’s End of the Road tour or sees himself hooking up with Kiss again in any capacity. “They never fucking asked me,” he insists.”
Adding: “That was all bullshit. But I think it would have been problematic. If I had somehow gotten back in the band, I would have made billions of dollars, but at what cost? Those guys are workaholics and strive for perfection, even though they could never achieve it.”
Can you remember your Kiss audition?
At that point, I was driving a cab and looking for a gig. You’ve heard the story about how I walked in with one orange and one red shoe, and that’s true. But I also had a guitar, and a good amp, which was a Marshall with a fucking great speaker.
I often think those guys wanted me more for the amp than me! But we got along well and jammed on songs like “Deuce,” where we clicked. I think they knew I was the guy right away. But I also felt the chemistry was special. We weren’t Kiss yet and weren’t even good, but you could tell there was a spark. I had no idea it would get so big, though.
Do you think Kiss would have gotten a record deal without you?
Probably not. The only way they would have been if they found a guitar player who was as clever as I was. But it wasn’t just my playing, to be honest. It was the chemistry between the four of us that made Kiss work. Paul was always more of a workaholic, though, and I was an alcoholic [laughs]. So is Peter Criss.
We used to bounce off each other, but for some reason, magic would happen when we got on stage, even though we were all so different. I could never put it into words, but if you watched any of Kiss’s final shows, you’ll see that it wasn’t there. The feel wasn’t there.
Is it true that you created Kiss’s logo?
That’s a fact. But I’ve read printed interviews where Paul was promoting some fucking art show, and he was saying that he created the Kiss logo. That’s bullshit, and he knows it. It’s bizarre, though, because he maintained that I created the logo for years, and then he refined it.
Look, Paul is a trained fucking artist, and I’m just a guy who can draw lines. God bless him; he can draw straighter than me, and he’s the guy who fleshed out the logo. But make no mistake—I designed the logo and created the lightning bolt thing.
What was the dynamic within Kiss like in the early days?
I’d make a mistake and laugh about it because that’s rock ‘n’ roll, you know? I was always fine to admit when I screwed up, and I’d say, “Oops, I fucked that one up, and move on.” Playing live, which Kiss was best at, means imperfection. But Paul didn’t see it that way. I remember Peter would often make mistakes—and this got worse later in the ’70s—and Paul would fucking swing around and give him the evil eye.
While recording Destroyer, producer Bob Ezrin brought Dick Wagner in to play in place of you on “Beth, and Sweet Pain.” Did that bother you?
I kind of get why he did, as he was trying to make a record. But at the same time, yeah, I was partying and drinking all night, but Bob Ezrin was doing a lot of cocaine, too. I did show up to the studio—that whole thing isn’t totally true. I may have been late, but I was there. I think it really came down to control, and Bob wanted to teach me a lesson. I didn’t even know I wasn’t on those two songs until I had Destroyer at home, and on my turntable. It really did upset me. None even bothered to fucking tell me.
Did the success of “Shock Me” make it easy for you to want to leave Kiss after the Love Gun touring cycle?
The response to “Shock Me” told me all I needed to know. I was nervous as hell about doing it and didn’t want to at first, but once I did and got to do it live, I knew that I was more creative on my own than with Kiss. I wanted out. I wanted to make my own music. I was tired of Paul and Gene putting me down, and while I was drinking a lot, I was doing what most rock stars did back then. When you’re young, and you think you have the world by the balls, crazy shit happens [laughs].
Why was your solo record, Ace Frehley, so successful?
That record is special to me because it was my first time away from Kiss. But I was with my dear friends Eddie Kramer and Anton Fig, and Eddie had produced several—and the best of—Kiss records, like Alive!, Rock and Roll Over, and Love Gun. Eddie loved working with me because I was willing to try anything, and I’d come up with crazy ideas.
Were you opposed to making a light-sounding record like Dynasty?
I’m on record as saying I didn’t want to do the disco thing. And while that record had some success, I wanted to make rock music. I knew I was better off on my own, and I knew I’d leave, but there was a lot wrapped up in Kiss, you know? I focused on doing the best songs I could, and I still think “Hard Times” is one of my best songs. Fans have always loved me for my covers, which is why I did “2000 Man” after “New York Groove”, which was such a big hit.
Do you stand by how you handled leaving Kiss after Creatures of the Night in 1982?
I used to think that maybe I made a mistake because I helped build the band. But the truth is that if I didn’t leave Kiss, I might not be alive. I might not have had the solo career I’ve had, which might not have made me the millions Kiss did, but who the fuck wants to be part of nothing but a money grab anyway? That said, Paul begged me to stay, and I knew Gene was hurt, too.
It is what it is; looking back and knowing what I know now, I have no regrets. But in the moment, there were times when I thought I fucked up my life. I wasn’t sober then, though, even if I was trying to cut back on my drinking and drugging; I hadn’t stopped. I always respected my audience and saved all my partying for after the shows.
Did you intentionally release Frehley’s Comet at the same time as Kiss’s Crazy Nights in 1987?
I might have[laughs]. But look, Paul and Gene have a lot of insecurities and a ton of jealousy. Those two always fought for the spotlight, even when I wasn’t in Kiss. When I was in the band the first time—and this got worse during the reunion tour—Paul and I would have arguments with the cameramen because I’d be doing a solo, and Paul and Gene would tell them to keep the camera on them while they shook their asses.
Your solo albums were relatively successful, so why did you return to Kiss in the ‘90s?
I am proud of those albums, but the truth is I did let the drugs and alcohol overtake me. And believe it or not, partially due to the reunion, I didn’t put out a solo record for twenty years between Trouble Walkin’ and Anomaly. When I came back to Kiss in 1996, a lot of things were happening emotionally, and there was nostalgia. Like I said, even though we’re different people, magic happens when we get on stage together.
Did Kiss get along during the reunion era?
The way it was laid out initially was that they wanted me and Peter back in the band, but we know how it played out. We had some good shows, but sometimes, it was a struggle as far as getting the right amount of attention on stage. Most of the time, with that, I got my way. If Paul and Gene were fair people, they would have said, “Look, Ace is doing a solo, or Peter is doing a solo; give them the full spotlight,” but that’s not how it was.
You left Kiss in 2002, and Tommy Thayer replaced you as the Spaceman. What do you think of that?
The fans don’t like it. It should have been me, and I wanted it to be me. After I got sober, the thing to do was to have me in the band and give the fans a real farewell. It was a sad state of affairs that had them insulting me rather than giving me credit.
Do you like Tommy as a player?
Tommy is a good guy and a friend, but he will never be me. He doesn’t have the feel. As for Paul, the magic is gone. I watched a video of him doing “Detroit Rock City,” and he totally screwed the solo up. He always played it perfectly with me, but I don’t know… with Tommy, the feel is off. That must be tough for a guy who doesn’t think live music is imperfect.
Do you wish things had turned out differently?
I took a pretty bad beating over the years from those guys, and I got to a point where maybe I lost respect and didn’t want to work with them anymore. But I want people to know that I do love Paul and Gene. I love Peter, too. I wish things had been different, but it wasn’t to be. God had a plan for Kiss and for me.
Check out more Ace Frehley and Kiss articles on ClassicRockHistory.com. Just click on any of the links below……
Complete List of Ace Frehley Albums And Discography
Top 10 Ace Frehley Solo Songs
Tod Howarth: Formerly of Frehley’s Comet: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
An Interview with Ace Frehley Producer Alex Salzman
An Interview With Jeremy Asbrock Of The Ace Frehley Band
Top 10 Ace Frehley Kiss Songs
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Tommy Thayer of Kiss: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview
Complete List Of Kiss Band Members
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Complete List Of Kiss Studio Albums And Discography
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Kiss: Artist Profile – New York City’s Iconic Classic Rock Band
Why Destroyer Was The Best Kiss Album
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Ace Frehley: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2025
