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Along with Eddie Van Halen, Kiss' Ace Frehley
inspired numerous up-and-coming rockers to pick up the guitar
in the 1970s — and come the '90s, was listed by just about every
contemporary rock guitarist (Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Pearl Jam's
Mike McCready, Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, etc.) as an important
influence. Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx,
NY, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric
six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of
the Rolling Stones, Frehley was blown away when he caught a multi-band
live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and
Cream among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock
guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back
burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding
both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences — and around
this time, adopted the nickname "Ace." Although none of the bands
he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper
for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.
A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the
lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene
Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter
Criss to form the band Kiss. By year's end, the greasepaint- and
costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by
1978, had become one of the world's top hard rock bands. A string
of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975-1979, until
the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley's
best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group
unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal styles. Ace Frehley's
use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing
unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he'd exited Kiss.
Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting
his own solo band together, Frehley's Comet. The band played local
N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987's self-titled
debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal
direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley's Comet
tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley
Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989.
Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once
again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even
being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mud slinging in the
press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early '90s, all
four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995
taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it
led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting
in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.
Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell
Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss,
who dropped out in 2001). When Kiss finally decides to call it
a day, Frehley has stated that he plans to start up his solo career
once more, giving a taste of things to come with a rocking set
at the New York Steel benefit show in November of 2001 in New
York City. Such previous members of Frehley's solo band as guitarist
Richie Scarlet and bassist Karl Cochran appear to have reclaimed
their position in the group.
This bio courtesy www.allmusic.com
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