Derek Scancarelli
Ace Frehley loves staring at the stars. He even spent a pretty penny to get a better look at them. When he explains the inner workings of his $6,000 Meade telescope, it’s like a child talking about his favorite toy.
“It has a computer built into it,” Frehley, age 67, says. “If you align it to the North Star, it’ll go to all the planets in the solar system. If you wanna go see Saturn, you punch in a three-digit code. It’s a high-end telescope. Serious astronomers buy it. I love all that sh*t.”
It’s appropriate that the KISS co-founder and guitarist coined himself “The Spaceman,” back in the 1970s. Decades later, the nickname still sticks. Fresh off the release of his eighth solo album, aptly titled Spaceman, the musician carried himself with a sense of wonderment uncommon in could-be jaded rockstars.
Frehley had been running around New York like a madman. With two hours to rest, he stopped back at The London NYC hotel. He threw himself on his suite bed — cheetah print shirt, leather pants and boots on — taking phone calls from friends and family as he shared his adventures promoting the new record. With a glass bottle of Coke, he took a breather on the couch before his next engagement. Hundreds were already lined up outside of Sam Ash Music Store on W. 34th Street eagerly awaiting autographs. Earlier in the week, he signed the birth certificate of a fan’s child. The boy’s middle name was Ace.
“You’d be surprised what I’ve signed,” Frehley says. “Asses, tits, you name it. I’ve never signed a penis though. That’s where I draw the line. I’ve had guys ask for hugs and then kiss me on the cheek. That’s a little weird, but, what are you gonna do?”
Frehley remains unfazed at the rigmarole of releasing a new album. That week, he made traditional media appearances, like performing for Fox 5’s morning program Good Day New York, but also got a kick out of sitting down for an interview with a 10-year-old YouTuber. He was tired, but ecstatic with the reaction to Spaceman.
“The artists that say they don’t give a sh*t about reviews are bullsh*tting,” he says. “They do care. They only say that when they get bad reviews. When they get good reviews, believe me, they talk about it.”
Ace FrehleyJOE SWIDE
Frehley says critics have likened the sound of his new album to his 1978 self-titled solo record which featured the hit “New York Groove.” Forty years later, he’s fond of the comparison.