Cindy Capitani | Wilton Daily Voice

WILTON, Conn. – KISS guitarist Ace Frehley lived and recorded music in this Wilton home, and Jerry Garcia is said to have jammed in the studio, too. There’s a a luxury chicken coop, a media room, a waterfall and a stone bridge. But those are just some of many features this 3-plus acre estate offers.

Ace Frehley’s former mansion as it looks today – Photo credit: Ryan Cornell

William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty announced that this contemporary home once owned by Frehley is represented by Wilton agent Ryan Cornell, and offered at $1.15 million

Owned by Frehley during the height of the band’s emerging popularity, this spacious, modern residence has striking angles and multiple glass walls and windows to embrace the natural light.

Fully equipped with updated amenities, the property contains an attached recording studio that was built by Frehley, and rumored to have been used by other iconic musicians, including Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. The space has since been converted but could still be used as a recording studio, yoga studio, workout area and more.

Ace Frehley mansion as it looked in 1981 – Photo credit: Peter Arquette

There is also room for up to seven cars on over 3 acres of lawns and surrounding woods. Visitors are greeted by a pillared iron gate, stone bridge and a long drive that leads to a circular courtyard featuring a water garden and waterfall.

A 70-acre vegetable farm neighbors the grounds, adding to the home’s private, tranquil atmosphere. The five-bedroom residence is strategically structured with bedrooms on one side of the house and leisurely spaces on the other.

The lower level offers a media room with an automatic retractable theatre-size screen, HD projector and powerful surround sound, a colorful playroom, separate office and homework or music room.

The former studio space where Music From the Elder was recorded in 1981 – Photo credit: Ryan Cornell

The residence is both highly efficient and high-tech, featuring LED lights, solar powered skylights, radiant floor heating, as well as smart phone control capabilities.

A luxury chicken coop containing a solar-powered exhaust fan, electric fence and automatic door that opens at dawn and closes at dusk, completes the property.

For more information on the property, located at 29 Tito Lane, visit its website .

NZ on Screen

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Eric Heemsoth | National Rock Review

On October 9-10, 2015, Cadillac, Michigan celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the KISS Homecoming at Cadillac High School with a number of community activities.

Cadillac High School in Cadillac, Michigan made rock n’ roll history when the flamboyant rock band KISS played at their homecoming in October of 1975. According to “The Story Starts Here” article by Jim Neff, the Cadillac High School Vikings football team finished undefeated in 1973 with a perfect 9-0 record. The Vikings, unfortunately, lost the first two games of the following 1974 season.

As one of the coaches, Neff knew that the team was talented, but the pressure of living up to the accomplishments of the previous year was causing them to play below their abilities. The coaches were looking for something to lighten the mood and playing rock music in the locker room beforehand was suggested. Head coach Dave Brines gave Neff the task of picking the music. He chose KISS, a new and outrageous band at the time. They were wild, bold and loud, plus, Neff says, their name invoked an old football credo; Keep It Simple Stupid. Neff says it was a match that was meant to be.

With KISS as their inspiration, the 1974 team went from worst to first by winning its final seven games, eventually becoming conference co-champs for that season. The band heard about the comeback and, says Neff, adopted the Vikings as their team.

On October 9th, 1975, KISS came to Cadillac High School to connect with their football team and played a homecoming concert in the high school gym. KISS arrived at a football field full of people with their faces painted in KISS inspired make-up. The band signed autographs, took pictures, and then played their concert in the school gym.

The next morning, the band received the key to the city while having breakfast with city council members and the mayor who also wore full KISS make-up during the meal. The guys in KISS rode through downtown Cadillac on the renamed “Kiss Boulevard” for the homecoming parade. Right before the game, KISS flew away using a helicopter that made a surprise landing on the 50-yard line of the football field. As they rocketed away, they showered the fans with flyers that read “Cadillac High, KISS loves you!” It’s an event that has become a cornerstone of KISStory and a legendary event in the world of rock music, which people still talk about 40 years later.

On October 9-10, 2015, the small Northern Michigan community of Cadillac celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the KISS Homecoming at Cadillac High School. This year’s homecoming coincided with the 120th Anniversary of Cadillac Viking football. The Cadillac community put together a slew of events that included the homecoming football game and KISS-themed additions to their homecoming parade. Walking tours of KISStorical markers at significant spots around town, encouraged visitors to learn the history. The city unveiled the permanent black granite monument to commemorate the iconic 1975 event next to the football field. To cap the event, the KISS tribute band, Mr. Speed, played a re-creation of the original concert in the high school gymnasium.

Continue reading…

Grant Smithies

On the eve of his band’s first New Zealand gig in seven years, Gene Simmons doesn’t want to talk about music. Not really. He’d rather focus on his two favourite subjects: himself and money. Really, rock’n’roll was merely a way to make a star of the former and a mountain of the latter.

Not that I’m complaining. What better way to spend a fine spring afternoon than getting an economics lesson from this self-styled “God Of Thunder”, best known as the blood-spitting, tongue-waggling bass player from Kiss.

“Hey, what can I say?” drawls Simmons, his accent as New York as a lox bagel, the voice deep as the Mariana Trench.

“I’m rich, and it’s great! People say I’m a ruthless businessman, but in reality, capitalism is very good for the world. Even the most selfish rich asshole still creates jobs when he buys the private jet or builds a million square foot house. Capitalism benefits everybody, because that money gets spread around.

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KMPH News

CADILLAC, Mich. (AP) – In October 1975, Kiss visited a small northern Michigan community where the high school football team had credited the rock band’s music for its success on the field the previous year.

Now residents in Cadillac are giving something back to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers known for wearing makeup that masks its members’ faces: a black granite monument celebrating the 40th anniversary of the visit.

The Cadillac News and WWTV reported that the monument was unveiled Saturday, although members of the band weren’t able to attend. A tribute band performed some Kiss hits as part of the event.

The monument reads in part: “The renowned bond between Cadillac and Kiss endures to this day.”

It also says the event on Oct. 9, 1975, “attained worldwide acclaim as one of the most iconic stories in rock and roll lore.”

“On that day, Kiss came to Cadillac, and a legend was created,” the monument says.

Kiss rode in the homecoming parade and performed in the school gym. The group ultimately departed Cadillac from the football field in a helicopter, showering fans with hundreds of “Kiss Loves You” cards.

“I think we were stunned,” Lucy Best told WWTV. Best was a student at Cadillac High at the time.

“I think we didn’t believe it at first … and as it got closer and people started making plans to paint faces and it started to become real and then they showed up and it really was real,” Best said.

Then-assistant football coach Jim Neff spearheaded efforts in 1975 to get Kiss to town. In 1974, the football team played Kiss songs before games. It had a seven-game winning streak and became conference co-champions, according to the monument.

Neff and former head football coach Milo Brines pulled away the tarp from the monument Saturday at the school’s football stadium.

alive75.com

Their relentless drive to deliver the ultimate classic KISS Tribute experience continues to reach new heights, as Alive! ’75 announces a HUGE event planned for their return to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA, on Saturday, December 5th, 2015.

“This represents a pinnacle of growth and maturity for Alive! ’75″, says Anthony De Lucia, Jr., the show’s creator and producer.  “This event will be our biggest and most complete package yet.  Once again we are taking Alive! ‘75 to a whole new level and this show will provide even more excitement and opportunity for the classic KISS fan!”

More excitement and opportunity indeed; just consider for a moment what their December 5th show at the Sherman Theater plans to deliver:

• Full KISS-Mart merchandising event, on-site the day of show, courtesy of KISSMuseum.com.
• The Alive! ’75 “Time Warp” 1975 pre-show experience, complete with emcee monologue, live actors, audio-visual reels, poster art gallery display – a complete package of sensory-stimulation!
• Complete Alive! ’75 concert performances, including live fire-breathing and the recreation of a real-life 1975 KISS concert moment – and other new surprises!
• Opportunity for fans to meet, greet and hear directly from the following people WHO WERE THERE in 1975:
  • JR Smalling – the VOICE of the Alive! Album!
  • Len DeLessio – photographer working with KISS in 1974 & 1975
  • Lydia Criss – wife of Peter Criss (1970 – ’78), and author of “Sealed with a KISS”
• With special guest opener – Afterimage: A Tribute to Rush

“We challenged ourselves right from the start to make Alive! ‘75 something different – something more than just another KISS tribute act” says Anthony.  “We wanted to clearly differentiate ourselves in the KISS tribute market and bring something new and interesting to the table.  Something that KISS fans would want to see.”

Anthony continues: “We wanted to do more – capture and focus on the 1975 theme and deliver a complete experience for the fans.  More importantly, we’ve continued to challenge ourselves to make our theater shows bigger and better every time out, and we are so excited about our upcoming Sherman Theater show.  This will be our biggest event yet”.

And with the current planned line-up, it surely appears to be a complete smorgasbord of joy for the classic KISS fans, who will not only get an exciting, period-specific tribute-concert experience in Alive! ’75, but a whole host of classic KISS fun and excitement throughout the day – before, during and after the main event.

As unbelievable as it seems, Alive! ’75 has managed to go from KISS Tribute “newbie” to KISS Tribute phenomenon in just one short year.  The project that admittedly was built as “a bucket list item” by four lifetime KISS fans has proven to be a top-tier production worthy of every KISS fan’s attention.  JR Smalling himself has referred to Alive! ’75 as “the closest that you’re gonna get to the real glory days of KISS!”.  The show has performed throughout the northeast, visiting NY, NJ, PA, RI & MD in 2015, and continues to expand its reach with additional shows in DE, CT, MA, NH and Montreal planned for 2016.

With so many KISS-tribute bands in the marketplace,  Alive! ’75 – A Tribute to KISS continues to be different by providing a complete package, including the period-specific 1975 experience.  For die-hard classic KISS fans (those who appreciate their early works), as well as general fans of rock ‘n roll nostalgia, this is definitely an experience not to be missed!

Tickets ON SALE NOW for their Stroudsburg, PA, performance on December 5th.  Complete details on this one-of-a-kind experience may be found at www.alive75.com   Contact ‘info@alive75.com‘ for more information.

Enzo Soliman | Kpopstarz

While Gene Simmons is writing new songs, he hinted that he might have new songs lined up that are perfect for KISS. Does this mean he is writing a new album from KISS?

Talking to Loud Wire, Simmons revealed that he has been working on a few songs that he thinks Paul Stanley might consider as a hit that could bring the band back together on stage.

He also revealed that it might just be a matter of talking together to possibly bring KISS back on the spotlight with a potential new album release.

“Paul may think there’s not going to be another record; I suspect there will be,” Simmons said. “We never force the issue. There is no one to answer to except our own gut. I recently wrote a song called ‘Your Wish is My Command’ and it feels like KISS. It came out pretty easy. When there’s enough material, we’ll look at each other and say, ‘You wanna?'”

Furthermore, Stanley also talked to Classic Rock about a potential new album from KISS, wherein he revealed releasing one now would be different and more liberating, as they now away from any record label that could potentially give them a different sound, without an entity stating to what they should sound like.

“There has to be a purpose to us doing an album,” the KISS frontman said. “There was a time when we did albums because the contracts said so. But I only want to work now when it’s justified. Sonic Boom was an album that was very much needed to be done and Monster just felt like, ‘Well, we did Sonic Boom – let’s see where we go from here.'”

“Having accomplished that, I feel we can move forward without new music. There are enough things going on in KISS that right now it doesn’t feel utterly necessary to make a new album.”

Loudwire

Dimitrios Kambouris

Graham Hartmann | Loudwire

Throughout the decades, KISS have experienced a few lineup changes, but guitarist / vocalist Paul Stanley and bassist / vocalist Gene Simmons have remained constant. Though many fans see the duo as irreplaceable, Stanley recently said that he’d like KISS to continue on even after he’s retired.

During an interview with Brisbane, Australia radio station 4KQ, Stanley was asked if he believes Simmons and himself are irreplaceable. “Well, I can see KISS without Gene. [Laughs] As much as I’m a big fan of what I do and think I do it really well, I didn’t invent the wheel,” Stanley says. “Somebody is out there who can come in and take my place, and at some point, I don’t see a reason for the band to fold anymore than I can see a reason for a team to fold.”

Stanley also discussed KISS owning the legendary makeup originally worn by guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. “Years ago, the original guys basically sold it off for, you know, not a whole lot, because they didn’t think it was worth anything,” Stanley says. “Quite honestly, I’ve always thought that our image and what we represent is priceless. It didn’t matter to some other people, it truly matters to me. So, that being said, Eric Singer I’ve known 26 years and I think he’s been in the band for decades. And Tommy [Thayer / guitar] has been around the band for decades and has been in the band probably 12 or 13 years. I have to say KISS is somewhat like a football team, or an army. If somebody falls by the wayside, somebody else picks up the flag and runs.”

However, Frehley has claimed he still owns his signature makeup in various interviews. “All the makeups for each character are trademarked; they were trademarked many years ago,” says the guitarist. “And my attorney told me that I license my makeup to KISS and they pay me a royalty for that. I license it to Paul and Gene, so they can do whatever they want with it, as long as they pay me.”

Chris Payne | Billboard

Dee Snider and Paul Stanley have been beefing ever since the Twisted Singercriticized the replacement members in Kiss’ current lineup. The two sides continue to exchange barbs with little talk of compromise.

Most recently, Snider guested on the Real Radio Show and downplayed Stanley’s latest insults. “It’s crazy how international this feud between me and Paul Stanley has become,” he said. “Not bad for a wannabe or a buffoon.”

Snider was referencing comments the Kiss guitarist made in an interview on Chris Jericho’s Talk Is Jericho podcast. Stanley said, “This guy is a wannabe, has always been a wannabe, and desperately wants attention and to be taken seriously. That will never happen because he’s obviously clueless that he and his whole band are a bunch of buffoons.”

Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider Goes ‘To Hell and Back’ on New Song: Premiere

The whole fight started when Snider criticized Kiss’ current lineup, which features guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer in place of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, respectively.

After describing his longtime Kiss fandom, Snider gave his take on the 21st century version of Kiss in the Real Radio Show interview.

Dee Snider Confirms Twisted Sister Drummer A.J. Pero’s Cause of Death

“I don’t think I’m out of line to say that I have an opinion and that I feel that the Ace Frehley impersonator playing guitar now is an insult to fans,” Snider said. “People disagree — that’s fine. People agree — that’s fine. But Paul reacted to me making a statement [saying] anything negative about Kiss.

“Paul, I love your band, I love your music. Why do you have to be such a dick? Alice Cooper is not a dick. Alice Cooper has inspired a million people and he’s the coolest guy in the world. Yet Gene [Simmons] and Paul, they’ve got this arrogance about them.”

Previously, Snider penned an open letter to Stanley, where he challenged him to a battle of the bands, saying they should do it “old school,” meaning “no costumes, no pyro, no bullshit — let’s just get up there and rock.” He added, “I will bury you, son.”

John Hogan | WZZM

CADILLAC, Mich. (WZZM) — On a sunny October afternoon 40 years ago, this northern Michigan vacation destination became center of the universe for fans of the rock ‘n’ roll band Kiss.

The New York band, known for its lavish costumes, face paint and pyrotechnics, rolled into town to meet the Cadillac High School football team, which credited its winning season a year earlier to the band’s pounding sounds.

The Oct. 9-10, 1975 visit left an indelible mark on the town of 9,200 nestled beside Lake Cadillac. And it’s widely acknowledged as one of history’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll publicity events, even though publicity came primarily after Kiss left Cadillac.

It also left an indelible mark on the band, which last year was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“It’s so deeply engrained and the visions that come forward with Cadillac Michigan, it’s an honor to have been part of this,” band member Paul Stanley said in a telephone interview with Traverse City radio station WKLT-FM.

Cadillac will celebrate the 40th anniversary this weekend with a Kiss tribute band concert Saturday afternoon and the unveiling of black granite monument beside the football field to commemorate the historic event.

“When the band started playing, it was so loud, one person said it was like swimming against the current,” said retired assistant football coach Jim Neff, who spearheaded the Kiss visit in 1975. “People in town got to hear the concert even if they didn’t attend.”

Ringing eardrums wasn’t the only thing the band left behind. A “battle-ready” helicopter landed on the 50 yard line the day after the concert to spirit Kiss away. As it lifted 100 feet off the ground, members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley unleashed 4,000 jumbo postcard-sized leaflets that read: “Cadillac High – Kiss loves you. Peter, Ace, Gene, Paul.”

“I think everybody thought somebody was throwing garbage out of the helicopter and you didn’t know what it was until you got one in your hand; and it said Cadillac High – Kiss Loves You,” said David Schemmel, 56, of Rockford, a junior running back at the time.

Not all of the fliers landed on Viking field. The helicopter created a windstorm that sent fliers across town. Neff, who lives a few blocks from the high school, recalls pulling them from his shrubs.

“The idea of playing was really a way of acknowledging what the team had done, so that was number one,” Stanley said. “And everybody seemed to embrace the idea so much . . . the breakfast, getting the key to the city, the parade, Kiss Boulevard. There were so many things thrown at us and most of them, we just said ‘yeah.”’

Rockin’ to Victory:

So how did Neff get an internationally acclaimed rock band to show up for Homecoming weekend in the former lumber town located near the geographic center of Michigan?

It started a year earlier when the Cadillac Vikings varsity football team began the 1974-75 season with a 0 and 2 start. Neff, the assistant coach and history teacher, began playing Kiss songs in the locker room to fire up his troops.

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Blabbermouth

KISS frontman Paul Stanley was interviewed this past week on Brisbane, Australia’s 4KQ commercial radio station. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On KISS‘s music transcending generations:

Stanley: “We managed to keep a certain amount of our original fans, but, ultimately, we’ve become more of a tribe. I think for many bands, they’re very age specific — you don’t want your younger brother there, and you don’t want your older brother. With KISS, it’s like we’re all members of this big tribe and this secret society, so if your dad comes with you, it’s awesome, if your little brother, if your neighbor… It’s all about sharing something very special that everybody holds dear.”

On whether the band KISS owns the rights to the makeup made famous by all the group’s original members:

Stanley: “Very much so. Years ago, the original guys [guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss], basically, sold it off for, you know, not a whole lot, because they didn’t think it was worth anything. Quite honestly, I’ve always thought that our image and what we represent is priceless. So… That it didn’t matter to some other people, it truly matters to me. So, that being said, [current KISS drummer] Eric Singer I’ve known 26 years and I think he’s been in the band for decades. And Tommy [Thayer, current KISS guitarist] has been around the band for decades and has been in the band probably 12 or 13 years. I have to say KISS is somewhat like a football team, or an army. If somebody falls by the wayside, somebody else picks up the flag and runs. If somebody is out on the football team, somebody else comes along. I don’t think that when you go to see your favorite football team, you’re yelling out that you wanna see somebody who was in the team 20 years ago. Time moves on, but the team lives on.”

On most KISS fans’ belief that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are irreplaceable:

Stanley: “Well, I can see KISS without Gene. [Laughs] As much as I’m a big fan of what I do and think I do it really well, I didn’t invent the wheel. Somebody is out there who can come in and take my place, and at some point, I don’t see a reason for the band to fold anymore than I can see a reason for a team to fold.”

On KISS being the most merchandised band in history:

Stanley: “Interstingly, when we first started out, we were kind of thought to be heretics, so to speak, because instead of just being a rock band, we wanted to be more and we wanted to give our fans more, and lo and behold, other bands saw not only that it was proper to give your fans the things they want, but all of a sudden, other bands saw the potential to make money out of it, and they followed suit.”
Read more at http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/paul-stanley-says-ace-frehley-and-peter-criss-sold-off-rights-to-their-makeup-for-not-a-whole-lot/#haCtXwdxIE6UTXVS.99.99

Full Throttle Rock

Who is the greatest rock band of all time? Depending on who you speak to this is an argument that could rage until the end of time. For some it may be The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, some might want to argue it’s AC/DC or Led Zeppelin, and for a younger generation it may be Nirvana. Personally I think you can keep all of them because there is only one clear choice as far as I’m concerned and that is KISS. For 40 years this group of superhero rock and rollers have been conquering the world with their brand of good time rock and roll and influencing generations of would-be rock stars. Their work ethic, particularly when it comes to touring, is second to none and there is no corner of the world the band won’t play; the same can’t be said for others. Once again the band has ventured to the land down under, which has always welcomed them with enthusiasm, as part of the 40th Anniversary tour. I caught up with guitarist and all round nice guy Tommy Thayer for a chat about the band’s rich history, the current tour and playing golf.

Rock Man: Firstly, welcome back to Australia. You’re here as part of the 40th Anniversary tour and Australia has played a big part in the bands success over the journey, hasn’t it?

Tommy Thayer: Well there is no question about it, and particularly in my journey with KISS. My first official show with the band was in 2003 here in Melbourne for the KISS Symphony concert. But of course KISS has been near and dear to the hearts of Australian’s for a long time. The first time the band was in Australia was in 1980 and it was akin to ‘Beatlemania’; when they came it was over the top and it was a huge tour. I was not here at that time, but I have heard all about it and I have seen all the photos and I have seen the newspaper headlines from that tour and it looks like it was over the top.

RM: So going back to 2003 and that KISS Symphony show in Melbourne, that is an incredible way to announce your arrival in the band.

TT: It really was because it was this full blown concert with the Melbourne Symphony at the Telstra Dome, at the time, and there was 40/50,000 people there. The entire Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was in KISS make-up and we recorded it for a live album and DVD as well, so there was a little pressure involved in that first gig I did. But once I got past that it has been smooth sailing ever since.

RM: Congratulations on all you have achieved in your career. Do you shake your head and wonder sometimes “How did I get so lucky”?

TT: [Laughs] Yeah, well I don’t know if it is, they say the harder you work the luckier you get. So I am not sure it necessarily is luck; I have been very fortunate but again, I have been fortunate to find a vocation and find my calling in life to what I love doing which is music and playing guitar and doing this sort of thing. So if you combine that with a lot of drive and perseverance like I have and a never-giving-up type of attitude, it all kind of seems to work out and I have been fortunate like I said. But it does have to do with how hard you work and how much you put into something as well, for sure.

RM: So I guess an extension of that is do you ever have moments, maybe on stage for example, where you think to yourself “Holy smoke, I’m in KISS, arguably the biggest band in the world!”?

TT: Oh, there is no question about it. I have had a lot of those kind of moments. I have had those experiences of looking around on stage or in stadiums and coming down on lifts for the first song as we were playing Detroit Rock City and looking out at 60/70,000 people and thinking “Oh my God, how great is this?” and “How Did I get here?”.But again, somehow it all works and one thing always leads to another and sometimes I have to pinch myself and think “This is amazing”, and I am so fortunate to be in this situation. But I definitely never lose sight of that and never take it for granted either.

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Joe Polo

Badlands Pawn

There is no better endorsement for an entertainment complex with the tagline “Guns, Gold & Rock N Roll” than one of the world’s top selling rock & roll legends wanting to be a part of it. KISS’ Paul Stanley, one of the most recognizable front men in rock & roll as well as an artist, songwriter and businessman, has become a minority owner in Badlands Pawn, Gold & Jewelry in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The 70,000 square foot retail, business and events center opens Thanksgiving Day and includes dozens of entertainment options including a pawn shop, radio network, television network, shooting range and concert venue.

Stanley is a long-time friend of Badlands founder and CEO Chuck Brennan. The Badlands family of companies also includes Badlands Entertainment, Guns, Gold & Rock N Roll Radio Network and Badlands Motor Speedway. Brennan is a philanthropist and businessman who founded several businesses including Dollar Loan Center and the non-profit Brennan Rock & Roll Academy in Sioux Falls, SD.

Gregg McQueen | Aquarian

Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley first learned to play guitar at age 13.

Though he was involved with street gangs for a time, Frehley eventually leaned toward music as his favorite pursuit, which proved to be a wise decision. Playing in bands as a teen, he would insist to his friends that he would one day become famous.

Later, Frehley would do better than that—as lead guitarist for Kiss, for a time the world’s biggest band, he became legendary.

The Spaceman from the planet Jendell, clad in silver platform boots, shooting rockets and smoke from his guitar, Ace Frehley was every bit the mythical superhero onstage, along with the other Kiss alter-egos: Starchild, Demon and Catman.

According to Kiss lore, Frehley hooked up with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss when he responded to Stanley’s newspaper ad requesting a guitarist with “flash and balls,” and he provided the band with plenty of both during his tenure. While Kiss’ over-the-top image sometimes crossed the line into ridiculousness and crass commercialism, Frehley was always considered the group’s rock and roll heart.

His fiery playing on the band’s landmark Alive! record inspired a generation of guitarists, but Frehley soon became as famous for his booze and drug consumption as he was for his riffs and flaming solos. Frehley’s party-hard reputation became the stuff of legend, as did stories of high-speed police chases, wrecked Porsches, and trashed hotel rooms. The Space Ace embraced the rock and roll lifestyle and all its excesses, and Frehley readily admits he’s lucky to still be alive.

But these days, life in the fast lane is no longer Frehley’s speed.

Now clean and sober, the Bronx native prefers a more laid-back existence, and has swapped his New York groove for the golden California sun, where he’s resided for the past few years with his fiancée, Rachael Gordon, a singer/songwriter who helped pen lyrics on Frehley’s last album.

One thing Frehley has always maintained is his celebrated sense of humor. Most importantly, there’s the laugh—a hearty, Stooges-like cackle that is a Frehley signature, and sure to stick in the mind of anyone he encounters.

Fortunately for me, the jovial Frehley got in a few trademark chuckles during our recent conversation. When I phoned Ace at his home, he was busy fiddling with art designs for new tour shirts. He’s a very absorbed man at the moment—in addition to a busy concert schedule following the release of 2014’s confident solo effort, Space Invader, Frehley is currently prepping an all-covers album featuring some of his favorite rock songs. During our chat, Frehley discussed his sobriety, Kiss bandmates, encounter with Jimi Hendrix, and more.

Do you usually design the tour shirts yourself?

Sometimes I do. I used to do it more, but I don’t have always have the time now. But I was fooling around with some artwork I have. I’m in the middle of working on a new album, and gearing up for the next tour. And I’ve also been going over a lot of old tapes that I found, that were in storage for about 25 or 30 years.

Oh, cool. You mean old demos? Is it Kiss stuff, or demos you did on your own?

I found old Kiss stuff, but I also found stuff that was pre-Kiss, so it’s exciting.

Wow. That must have brought back a lot of memories.

Yeah. Now I’ve got to catalog everything.

Did you hear any old riffs that blew you away, that you think you might want to use in the near future?

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Guitar Player

Kiss have had 10 members over their 42 years, including five different lead guitarists and three drummers. For that matter, original guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss have both left and rejoined the group over the years, making it somewhat difficult to keep track of the band’s rotating lineup.

This new video shown below should make it easy. Titled “The History of Kiss in 90 Seconds,” it provides a succinct chronology of the band’s years together, starting in 1972 with the breakup of Wicked Lester, guitarist Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons’ original group.