After reading Ace Frehley’s new book I was reminded of this piece I wrote for CityBeat back in April of 2008:
When KISS was interviewed on NBC's Tomorrow show in 1979 in full make-up and regalia, it was clear from Ace Frehley's crazy cackle that he was unglued, untethered, off the leash and most certainly not controlled by Gene Simmons' angry dagger glares. Simmons' demonic powers apparently did not include the ability to rein in Space Ace Frehley, who stole the show with his speed-freak stream-of-altered-consciousness rants that had host Tom Snyder in stitches.
On record and on stage, Ace kept pace with all the Hard Rock guitar heroes of his day. KISS' reputation as a Heavy Metal circus act did not disguise the fact that those were high-voltage Chuck Berry riffs spitting out of Ace's Les Paul like a flame-thrower. In those days before the Internet, rumors were sketchy and unreliable -- reports of any kind were few and far between. But when Ace first left KISS in 1983 due to "health problems," it was soon widely known that the real reason for his sacking was alcohol abuse. The band became an even worse hackfest without the one original member who actually had some chops, but Ace's post-KISS solo stuff was spotty at best. He made a record every few years and toured very little, but even keeping this relatively low profile Ace always maintained a reputation as a guitar god and a raging party animal.
KISS' self-imposed unmasking, financial de-pantsing, frequent lineup changes and steady decline through the '80s and '90s is well-documented. For a band that was more about flash and fire than the music from the outset, they sucked and struggled more than ever until the inevitable reunion tour in 1995. In the early days the bands' profits went back into their stage show and a series of bad investments. Hard to believe, but it's been said that the reunion tour was the first time in their career that KISS made any real money. Think of that: Who the fuck was banking on all those KISS lunchboxes and shit? By 2002, Ace was sick of the circus again and left with a laugh, saying, "This fucking 'farewell tour' has been going on for seven years!"
I don't listen to my KISS records very much anymore. But I will always owe a debt of gratitude to Ace for being the guy who first inspired me to pick up a guitar. Over the years my tastes have changed, but my guitar is my constant companion. When I was a kid I wanted to be Ace Frehley when I grew up. Ironically, this very same childhood obsession with learning to play guitar also lead me to the conclusion that "growing up" was for assholes. Then the unthinkable happened: Ace grew up. Word is that for the first time in his adult life, Ace Frehley is sober.
Even under the make-up, Ace's complexion always made him look like a man of wax who stood too close to a fire. His hairline is creeping skyward now, but his brown hair still falls about his shoulders. Long gone is the silver symmetry of his face-paint design from the old days. In its place we find a scraggly goatee and ever-present pair of dark sunglasses resting atop a nose that must have snorted a hundred miles of white lines in its day.
A lot of guys who lived that Rock Star lifestyle didn't survive. It's against all odds that Ace is still standing, even about to release his first new album in many years.
Once a notorious drunk slacker cokehead and improbable role model for any kid, Ace is now doing what I would have once thought impossible for him: He's kicked the bottle at age 57. I'll drink to that.
[Special thanks to my friend & CityBeat editor Mike Breen. –rh]
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