Ace Frehley Speaks Up on ‘Myth’ That Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley Perpetuated About Him: ‘I Had Big Resentments’

“When I left the band… They used to say I got fired.”

Ace Frehley Speaks Up on 'Myth' That Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley Perpetuated About Him: 'I Had Big Resentments'

During Kiss’ long-and-winding career, original lead guitarist Ace Frehley left the band twice: in 1982 and again in 2002. However, in interviews, co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley usually paint the picture that Frehley was fired from the band both times.While being interviewed on the Guitar Tales Podcast, Frehley had an entirely different take concerning his exits from the group. Namely, that he left on his own, rather than getting the axe.”I had really big resentments against Paul and Gene when I quit the band the first time, and even the second time,” Frehley admitted (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). “When I left the band… They used to say I got fired, which is complete bullshit. Both times, I left on my own accord. And they would perpetuate the myth that they fired me, which is complete bullshit.”

Frehley, who was the group’s original “spaceman” character, even pinpointed the start of the supposed friction between him and the others. “There was always a jealousy there, the fact that my solo album [1978’s ‘Ace Frehley’] with ‘New York Groove’ was the most successful out of the four.”

The guitarist also admitted how he and especially one of his former bandmates were different in their personal lives, explaining that he was quite popular with the opposite sex.

“I used to get the hottest girls. I didn’t go after movie stars because that just complicates things. Because you’re a celebrity, you got another celebrity, then it’s twice as complicated. So, I don’t understand why Gene went out with Cher and Diana Ross. It just became harder to have to do everything…if you want to go do anything.”

“But Gene doesn’t party. He’s pretty much in the hotel. He doesn’t like going out on vacations, he told me. He hasn’t been on a vacation in 15-plus years. But everybody’s different.”

On February 23, 2024, Frehley released his tenth solo album overall, “10,000 Volts”, which has spawned the singles “Cherry Medicine”, “Walkin’ on the Moon,” and the title track.