In a recent interview with Guitar Player, Ace Frehley opened up about his dynamic with former KISS bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, claiming that their attempts to compete with his charisma often fell flat.
Reflecting on KISS’ memorable 1979 appearance on The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder, Frehley stated, “When I was on, nobody was funnier than me.” While Stanley and Simmons stuck to the script, Frehley’s offbeat humor and spontaneous jokes stole the spotlight.
“Paul and Gene would try to compete with me but always fail,” he added. “Even when I was loaded and buzzed, once I got into the groove, you couldn’t top me. Gene would try and throw a line in there. I remember Gene tried to tell a joke to Tom Snyder, but he got completely ignored.”
Frehley’s battles with alcohol and drugs were well-documented, but the guitarist has been sober for 19 years. In a 2020 interview with Loudwire, he shared insights into his sobriety journey and the positive changes it brought to his life.
“If you were to tell me 14 years ago that I’d go without a beer for 14 years, I’d say you were out of your mind,” Frehley admitted. “But I’m sitting in my bar at my new home, and there’s no beer here [laughs]. And guess what? I can live without it.”
Achieving sobriety required Frehley to make significant changes, including cutting ties with those he used to party with. “I had to cut them loose as friends,” he noted. “I still stay in touch with my sponsor, pretty much on a daily basis — my AA sponsor. He’s saved my life numerous times. My daughter is sober, my girlfriend is pretty much sober.”
Frehley also emphasized the role of AA meetings in his recovery. “I’ve gone to thousands of [AA] meetings, and they’ve helped me tremendously. It’s a great feeling to go to a meeting and hear other people share, and you identify with them,” he said. “Addiction is a disease that a lot of people don’t even believe in. A lot of people think it has to do with willpower, but it has nothing to do with willpower — you’re born that way. If you’re an addictive personality, you’ve gotta stay on your toes. One day at a time, you get through it.”
Gene Simmons has previously attributed Frehley’s departure from KISS to his struggles with substance abuse, but Frehley’s journey to sobriety has since become a testament to his resilience and determination.