It all started in the early 1970s. Ace, a Bronx kid with a serious love for electric guitar and influences ranging from the blues masters to rock giants like Jimi Hendrix, answered a newspaper ad. He showed up to the audition with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons wearing mismatched shoes, but his guitar playing immediately blew them away. Soon, with Peter Criss on drums, the legendary initial lineup of KISS was solidified. Ace wasn't just hired help; he literally shaped the band, designing their now-iconic lightning bolt logo and becoming "The Spaceman." On stage, his fiery solos were visually spectacular, complete with his custom Les Paul smoking and shooting rockets—pure rock and roll theater. While Stanley and Simmons handled most of the writing and singing, Ace's distinctive, melodic, yet aggressive style was the core sound of the band, and he contributed classics like the iconic riff-driven "Cold Gin" and his personal anthem, "Shock Me," which he wrote after a near-fatal electrocution incident on stage.
The proof of his independent talent arrived in 1978 when all four KISS members released solo albums on the same day. Ace Frehley's record was the standout seller and the only one to spawn a genuine hit single, the energetic cover of "New York Groove." This achievement proved he was a star in his own right, but by the early 1980s, the pressures of fame, creative tensions (especially as the band tried to move away from hard rock), and Ace's increasing struggles with substance abuse led him to walk away from KISS in 1982.
For a few years, he was quiet, but he resurfaced in the mid-'80s with his own band, Frehley's Comet. This was Ace's chance to take the reins completely. They put out a self-titled debut in 1987, which contained the track "Rock Soldiers," a candid commentary on his return to music. After a couple of albums with the Comet lineup, Ace shifted back to releasing music under his own name with Trouble Walkin' in 1989, even bringing back his old bandmate Peter Criss for a few tracks. The early 90s were a bit of a slower period for him, but the next chapter was already brewing.
The biggest bombshell of his career dropped in 1996: the full, original KISS lineup, makeup and all, was reuniting for the Alive/Worldwide Tour. It was massive, a huge nostalgia-fueled spectacle that reminded everyone how special the original four were together. Ace was back in the Spaceman gear, rocking arenas around the world. This second stint lasted until 2002, encompassing the Psycho Circus album before the inevitable tensions led to his final departure from the band.
What's really impressive is that after getting sober, Ace launched into the most consistent solo output of his life. In 2009, he released Anomaly, his first new album in two decades, which was praised as a roaring return to his signature hard rock sound. He kept the momentum going, reaching the U.S. Top 10 with Space Invader in 2014. He even made amends with his former bandmates, collaborating with Paul Stanley on a cover song for his Origins, Vol. 1 covers album in 2016, and co-writing a couple of tracks with Gene Simmons for his 2018 album, Spaceman. He continued to tour and record, releasing Origins, Vol. 2 in 2020 and dropping his most recent studio effort, 10,000 Volts, in 2024. Of course, the ultimate recognition came in 2014 when he and the original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ace Frehley's career is a testament to his unique sound and resilience—he's always the Space Ace, whether he's with KISS or rocking on his own.