Before KISS began their End Of The Road tour in January, original guitarist, Ace Frehley addressed some comments made by bassist Gene Simmons about about a possible reunion of the band’s original lineup, dismissing claims that he had been fired three times (Ace cliams he quit) and alleging that Simmons groped his wife, Rachel, during one of the Simmons’ Vault Experience events in Los Angeles. Additionally, Frehley accused Simmons and KISS frontman Paul Stanley of trying “to derail my solo career multiple times over the years.” After the allegations, he included a threat, writing, “Without a complete and heartfelt apology, an offer to give me my old job back and removing Tommy [Thayer] from the throne I created, the s–t will hit the fan and they’ll [sic] be no stopping it. It’s on!!!” He concluded the post with an image of him pointing at a camera emblazoned with the words, “The gloves are off!!”
Asked in a new interview with Alan K. Stout of The Weekender (as per Blabbermouth.net) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania if he has had a chance to try and mend things with Simmons, Ace said, “I have had no contact with Gene, and Gene hasn’t commented on Rachel’s accusations. He hasn’t said ‘Yay’ or ‘Nay’ or denied it, or apologized. It’s just very unsettling and an unfortunate situation that that had to go down. I don’t know the specifics, exactly, because I did not witness anything. In reality, talking hypothetically, if Rachel decided to sue Gene … in the court of law, I would have to have to say, if they put me on the stand, that I did not witness anything. It’s a tough situation. And that’s all I really have to say about it.”
Frehley added that he has had some contact with Stanley, who wrote in his latest book, Backstage Pass, that he is glad to have rekindled a friendship with Ace.
“I spoke with Paul last week,” Frehley told The Weekender. “I just touched base. He didn’t really want to talk about the feud between me and Gene. I heard he’d said some nice things [in the book], and I actually sent him a text thanking him for the kind words …. That’s what prompted me to get a hold of him and thank him, and wish him luck on the European tour that they’re on right now. I always try to keep the door open.”
This past February, Simmons told the Los Angeles Times that he didn’t want to go into detail about Frehley’s accusations. “I’m not gonna say anything in print other than I love Ace and Peter [Criss, original KISS drummer] and I thank them forever — they’re every bit as important as Paul and myself for launching the band,” he said. “I’m not going to make any guesses of why the emotions are so volatile, but it’s happened before.”
9 Responses
After all these years, I’ve just come to the conclusion that they’re all nuts! 😉
There’s probably a WHOLE LOT of truth to your comment….and add comically over-sized egos to that.
people are supposed to mature as they / we get older , these guys are late 60’s early 70’s … this nastiness between the kiss guys is high school ridiculous – i know that being in the music business seems to stunt emotional growth to a degree and keeps people youthful in mind and spirit, and sometimes body .. but -any of these guys could kick the bucket at any time – my advice is .. let it all go call each other have dinner laugh, hug each other , life is way too short –
Robert, I agree 1,000,000% with your comment!!!! Enough with the bullsh-t already! Life is definitely WAY too short!!!
yes true,but you have to remember these guys and the like,live in a bubble .they are forever 20-25,they are like a bunch of children,you and i and the rest of the normal working world have to grow to survive or we get run over by life,these folks get to be a kid forever,sad but true
I love Ace, but every time he opens his mouth, IMO, it just reaffirms why he’s not in the band. I think the band would love to have him perform with them on THEIR terms, but I think Ace will only participate if the $$$ is right and things are on HIS terms. This “End…” tour seems to be getting good business and attendance, so the band has demonstrated they don’t need Ace at this point in the band’s career.
I don’t know, I worry about Ace sometimes….it just seems to me that Ace talks crazy nowadays…maybe the substance abuse, even though he’s sober today, has caught up with him…..
I’ve said this before…The fact that Ace, by his own admission, has “quit” the band THREE times and now is angry that he can’t get his old job back a FOURTH time is completely self-entitled and delusional.
Maybe the media should stop asking the same tired questions about a reunion, and all the players should stop answering the same tired questions….
amen
i will see what the spaceman has to say about this s–t tonight,going to hang out with him in jersey tonight