Guitarist Ace Frehley passed away last Thursday, Oct. 16, at the age of 74. Known as both the “Spaceman” and “Space Ace” as his on-stage persona, Frehley leaves behind a complicated legacy but will undoubtedly be remembered as one of rock music’s most influential musicians.
Frehley was the original lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. Known for their makeup and pyrotechnics during live performances, their musical prowess often falls by the wayside in critical reviews of the group. Frehley may be the most victimized by this tendency, as he was arguably the best musician.
Frehley, who was self-taught, began playing guitar at 13 years-old. His playing style was at times unorthodox. In interviews with Guitar World, he said that he used to play with his thumb on the fretboard of the guitar while also saying that he believes that he was partially responsible for Eddie Van Halen’s tapping technique. While he was far from the first guitarist to make a similar claim, there could be at least some reality to the statement, as Kiss bassist Gene Simmons had a large hand in the early success of Van Halen.
Frehley’s guitar solos were often characterized by his techniques such as using the toggle switch on his guitar to create a pounding staccato effect or shaking his guitar to create a waving sound. He combined Kiss’ hard rock sound with elements of the blues, with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page having a big influence on his playing.
That blues influence can be heard on solos like the one from the blues rocker “100,000 Years.” His ascending solo at the end of “Love Gun” soars over the final minute of the track and brought one of Kiss’ most revered songs to a new level. He is also responsible for classic guitar riffs such as “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock n’ Roll All Nite.”
When each member of Kiss released solo albums concurrently, Frehley’s self-titled album was the only one to produce a hit single. His cover of “New York Groove” by Hello reached No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the definitive version of the song in America. It has become one of the songs most closely associated with New York City, up there with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” mand is still being used by New York sports teams and during political campaigns.
The guitarist was also an underrated songwriter. He provided classic Kiss songs such as “Cold Gin” and “Parasite.” His best-known work from the Kiss years is probably “Shock Me,” a song he wrote after being electrocuted during a show which features yet another buzzing and melodic solo.
The emphasis on Frehley’s abilities as a musician is not to say that he didn’t embrace theatrics and showmanship in his performances. His insertion of a smoke bomb into the pickup of his Gibson Les Paul guitar led to a more permanent design being invented that made it appear as if the pickup of his guitar was smoking during his guitar solos. He had multiple guitars imbedded with LED lights that would flash and display different designs, often used during “New York Groove.”
Frehley is also often cited for originating from the widely used lightning bolt embroidered guitar strap, or at the very least popularizing it. Kiss frontman Paul Stanley credited the design to Frehley himself in his autobiography, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed.” The design has stood the test of time, with modern artists such as Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes using the strap.
Much can be made of the Frehley chose to live his life and how those closest to him viewed his actions. Both Simmons and Stanley have been publicly critical of Frehley. In a 2023 Howard Stern interview, Stanley talked about why the band chose not to perform alongside Frehley and original drummer Peter Criss, suggesting that the band be called “Piss” if they were to reunite that line up again. Their disdain for Frehley can be seen in a 1979 Tom Snyder interview, probably one of the most hilarious interviews in music history.
It is true that Frehley struggled with both drug and alcohol addiction throughout his life and that it, in large part, led to his departure from Kiss multiple times. Frehley openly talked about how he reached sobriety in 2006 and had remained sober since.
Appearances later in his career, such as Kiss’ reunion for MTV Unplugged in 1996, show that he hadn’t lost his fastball by the time of their reunion tour. His piercing solo from “Beth” from the Unplugged performance is often cited as one of his best — and on an acoustic guitar no less.
Frehley has spent much of his life as a divisive figure. Still, Stanley shared a story on Twitter shortly after Frehley’s passing about a time while Kiss was on tour when he heard someone playing the guitar a room over from him and wished that guitarist was in the band — it was Frehley. Frehley will be remembered for his legendary guitar work and lasting innovations to how the guitar is presented on stage.