Flashback: WPDH Interview With Legendary Ace Frehley

The rock world is mourning the loss of Ace Frehley at the age of 74. We revisit a fun, light hearted chat back in 2017 with the Kiss legend.

Kiss out of New York City in 1973. The band’s original lineup consisted of Paul Stanley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gene Simmons on vocals and bass, Ace Frehley on lead guitar, and Peter Criss on drums. The group rose to fame in the mid to late 1970’s with their elaborate stage shows. They went through  through many lineup changes throughout the years, with The ‘Spaceman’ Ace Frehley performing with them since the band’s inception in 1973 until 1982.

Also See: The Five Best Ace Frehley Stories 

Frehley started a solo career after leaving Kiss and eventually returned to the band for their highly successful reunion in 1996. The band has sold over 100 million records worldwide in their 40 plus year career. Kiss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ultimate Classic Rock reported on the news of Ace Frehley's passing on Thursday, after injuries suffered from a fall at home. It was reported that he had suffered a brain bleed and was on life support.

For me, growing up in the Lake Carmel, NY area before moving to Dover Plains and eventually settling in Poughkeepsie, I was always a huge Kiss fan. I would eventually get every Kiss album on cassette for my collection, buy the Kiss t-shirts, and as a teenager would try to sneak into the Briar Patch (a bar located in the Carmel Lanes Bowling Alley at the time) to see Ace Frehley performing with Richie Scarlet "The Emperor of Rock n Roll". I would be next door in the bowling alley as my mother was on a Friday night bowling league, and tried my best to sneak over to the bar to see the band but would get stopped at the entrance by the owner LOL

As an adult, I'd see Ace around every now and again, including one night out at a bar in Mahopac, NY. I also had the opportunity to see  Ace perform countless times over the years beginning with the Kiss full makeup reunion tour in Hartford, CT in 1996 (one of my favorite concerts ever!). Plus Ace solo shows over the years at venues like Sugar Loaf PAC in Chester, NY and many times at The Chance in Poughkeepsie.

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We unearthed a fun interview wit Ace Frehley from 2017 where Ace talked about Kiss, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, sobriety and more. Listen to the full interview in the audio file link below. Arguably one of the most popular, and a favorite Kiss member, Ace Frehley was the first guitar hero to many kids growing up during the era. His legacy will live on forever. R.I.P. Space Ace.