GUITARIST ACE FREHLEY DISCUSSES WHY HE LEFT KISS
Guitarist Ace Frehley was a recent guest on Australia’s Today show. Some quotes from the interview appear below.
On why he left KISS the first time around, Frehley said, “I quit because I started abusing substances and alcohol. And I also wasn’t agreeing with the direction of the way the band was going. You know, we had that big hit I Was Made For Loving You and I’m more of a blues-based rock guitar player…When I left, there was a sigh of relief, because I just felt like I was on a collision course with… I just thought I was gonna end up being a statistic…By the grace of God, I’m here today, clean sober eight years, and life’s never been better.”
When asked if it’s hard to stay sober, Frehley stated, “The first year or two is hard. Now it’s like… When I look at photos of me when I’m all bloated and I think about the days when I was looking at being in trouble with the law for drunk driving and all that crazy stuff… And health reasons too.”
Watch Ace’s interview here.
Ace’s substance and alcohol abuse didn’t stop after he left Kiss and that’s well documented. But 8 years sober is great! I have relatives and friends that have had addiction problems, which thankfully right now everyone I speak of has conquered those problems. But I see what a struggle it can be. My buddies and I love to get together on weekends and drink beer and get card games going but one of my friends is newly sober, so out of respect for what he’s going through, we take it easy around him. After all, I can play poker just as well drinking Dr Pepper or Pepsi as I do Becks or Shiner Bock. It takes support and understanding from those around the person struggling with addiction. Maybe Ace didn’t have that support. Maybe he just wasn’t ready to finally admit he has an illness, because that’s what addiction really is. Whatever the reason was that got him to finally kick his old bad habits, I’m very proud of him. I’ve said it before, Ace was my very first guitar hero, the reason I started playing guitar, and has always been my favorite Kiss member. He’s the coolest! And I love seeing interviews with him because the guy is hilarious! He and Zakk Wylde together on the same episode of TMS would be a laugh riot!
Here we go again. How many times does this very old story have to be rehashed. This isn’t new news – it’s just an artist trying to stay relevant and an income coming in by keeping up some form of drama from long ago. Most rational people would respect a musician more if they would move on from what was. It’s very clear from all the original member of KISS that they either mentally can’t move past that era as nobody would pay attention to them if they weren’t in KISS. Let’s hear something more interesting and move on from the era from when the original KISS was in decline. I’d be willing to be bet a same or similar story will roll around in the near future in a different media outlet.
I could not agree more!
However, it’s not just Ace and Peter who need to move on – it’s the lazy media. They need to do their homework and ask some relevant questions about their current work (or lack thereof – coughPetercough!).
I have just read a long article on Paul in an Australian magazine on the occasion of their upcoming tour there. Yes, here we go again, but it is and has been Paul more than anybody else. Given the opportunity (yet again ..) he bashes Ace, bashes Peter, does not even mention that Gene might have a part in the iconic reputation and success of this band he elaborates, makes it look like HE did all, applauds himself in every respect, especically when he tries to make it look like he is actually the humble and modest guy (arrggh) and goes on and on again about how lucky he is, what he has achieved, about the truth and the only possible and approved truth he is telling and the lies other people may have told you, etc. etc. – I cannot stand braggarts (even though he HAS achieved a lot and there is no denying that) but what is worse is a braggart that is getting old, losing it (voice ….) and knowing it – but instead of admitting it is pointing at other people to find someone who might look even older and so draw the audience’s attention away from his own flaws. That is just getting ridiculous. He again says he can imagine Kiss without him when every word he has said in an interview over the last few years clearly shows he can NOT. If he could, he would stop having lost 80% of his voice by now. And I hope no one in their right minds on this planet will spend a single cent on a puppet show like this “new Kiss” would be. I mean, what difference from real elderly stars like Jimmy Page, Roger Daltrey, Brian May, who have achieved at least as much as Kiss did but get older in a very decent fashion, being friendly, realistic, even modest people, being real … which does, of course, inlcude knowing who you are and your place in the business and the history of your trade, but not needing to go on about it every time a microphone is pointed at you. That is exactly not it. The clever thing the self-acclaimed clever man Paul Stanley will apparently never be able to do is: leave the worship to the press and to the fans and silently relish it. When asked about it, just smile.
Just posted here at: https://eddietrunk.com/kiss-paul-stanley-discusses-ace-and-peter-their-autobiographies-and-the-day-he-will-no-longer-be-in-the-band/
Dana from ET.com 🙂
This magazine seems to have given him yet another forum to “evaluate” himself (rather than the band) 🙂 … the sheer length of this article.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ace back in Kiss for one last go ’round.
I wish I had your optimism about Ace coming back for one more go ’round with KISS. I would love to see it. He was part of the original magic.
Ace back in the ring would maybe be good for a last world tour filling arenas again (no double bill needed) and filling many old-time fans’ eyes with tears of joy. But it will not happen. No.
I would say the original magic consisted of four things: makeup and stage show (all of them), lascivious and provocative behaviour and look (Gene), strong leadvocals and great songwriting (Paul), fresh and no-nonsense rock’n roll guitarsound and drive (Ace) … (sorry Pete, but maybe: unconventional breaks and beats – because of his love for jazz drummers – in a rock format).
Typical of any great band in rock history, if you take away one or even two quarters it will never be the same again, no matter how perfectly new players emulate the original tunes and licks. The magic created is more than the mere equivalent of the four quarters, that is why we call it magic.
With Peter out of the band, Ace had no leverage in decisions with Gene and Paul. Would imagine Ace getting outvoted 2 vs 1, since Carr did not have voting rights (and would have agreed with Ace more than not).
With the deck stacked against him, Ace cared less, drank more….etc. etc. The rest is Kisstory.
Just glad to see the guy sober and putting out great music and a Bronx boy to boot!
Ace’s 78 solo record is better than most in the Kiss catalogue.
And Anomoly and Space Invader have some great tunes.
So he had to leave due to his health…well then why should anyone have issues with Paul or Gene for not continuing to deal with it?? Again on the reunion tour and album, not long after that Ace was up to his old shenanigans. Paul and Gene couldn’t win here…if they never did the reunion and stayed unmasked, there would be no “makeup” controversy because it would be long gone. But no,they reunite with these two f ups and bring the makeup back…other than a great tour and major nostalgia, Ace and Peter hijacked the band again!! Now they can either replace them like they did, or go back to no makeup, no huge show…just a band. They couldn’t do that because the band was still too big as billed. People still go to Kiss shows and for the better part of the 2000’s they were still a huge draw without Peter and Ace. The last few years have been declining somewhat, but that’s because they are older and the show isn’t what it was…but what band out there from there era is still headlining festivals, playing to sold out shows overseas or able to have a decent crowd in the US?? I don’t like that Tommy and Eric are in the makeup, but I certainly understand with comments like this, what Paul and Gene were up against in their decisions…
I don’t think anyone has a problem with Kiss continuing without Ace or Peter, the problem is having others impersonate what they created vs being their own people. And now the problem is clearly that Paul can’t sing as well.
I hate to agree about Paul’s voice, but it is not what it used to be. That being said, he destroyed his voice being the best front man in rock and roll .
Hm, maybe ONE of the best, I should say. Very good, definitely. But what about Plant, Gillan, Dio, Halford, Daltrey, Brian Johnson etc.?? Most of them actually saved their voice even though some are even older than him. So where is the point in this? He wrecked it. Maybe because he just cannot stop touring. The voice gets older and so the pauses have to become longer, it is simple. Why has there been no real break in Kiss’ touring schedule for many years now? Money? Don’t think so. Fame? Isn’t there plenty already? My guess: he just cannot stop because he cannot admit the notion that it is actually over. Many people in all kinds of professions have the same problem. Sad to see it going on in public, though.
I too have a problem with Tommy and Eric in the sacred makeup…I’m just saying it was a difficult decision to have to make…especially when at times Ace and Peter played with the band with one of the “imposters” so it kind of evolved into both being replaced. I wish the makeup was gone…And true Paul’s voice is done