Remembering Ace Frehley: The Legacy of the Original Space Man
- jaybroderick
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
By: Michael Drukarsh - Now that the disbelief has somewhat subsided, it’s time to take a moment and reflect on the passing of the original (and in many people's eyes, the only) Space Man, Ace Frehley.
One of the four founding members and lead guitarist for Kiss, Ace made his mark on the rock and roll world by having a natural swagger that never felt forced or snobbish. Instead, Ace took to the stage, and to life, with a Bronx attitude that made people feel at ease in his presence and in awe of his guitar wizardry.
Ace himself has always said he was an untrained guitarist, “I’d probably have practiced a little more if I knew I was going to affect that many people.” And did he ever affect a generation of guitarists!
His unorthodox style relying on flash and attitude inspired the basement guitarist to rise off the couch and hit the stage. DimeBag Darrell Abbot, Tom Morello, Scott Ian and countless other guitarists have cited the first time they heard Kiss Alive and Alive II, especially Ace’s first time on the mic with "Shock Me" and his electrifying guitar solo as the catalyst to their journey into rock and roll.
It is hard to find anyone in the business who has anything bad to say about Ace (save for a couple of his former bandmates, but that’s not for this story). His humor and signature laugh can bring a smile to anyone's face. There are so many examples of Ace taking over, much to the dismay of Gene and Paul, during band interviews. Not with ego, but with sincere honesty and humility and probably a lot of alcohol. Just take a look at the famous “I’m a plumber” interview with Tom Snyder or the moment Ace finds out he went to the same high school as Don Lane on the Don Lane show from 1980.
As evident in his autobiographical song "Hard Times" off Dynasty, Ace Frehley did not have an easy time growing up:
“Out in the street, we had to take it
With friends around, we couldn't fake it
What wasn't there, we had to make it
Hanging out down in the city…”
Ace Frehley certainly took what wasn’t there and made it. From an awkward audition with two different coloured shoes to the pinnacle of rock star status, the guitarist from Outer Space has left an indelible mark on rock and roll. As my friend Jake Disman said, “Randy Rhoads was the reason I wanted to be a guitarist, but Ace Frehley was the reason I wanted to be a rock star.”
Safe journeys through the Ozone Ace!
Ace Frehley Online
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