Ace Frehley‘s longtime bandmates have opened up about their experiences working alongside the late, legendary KISS guitarist.
Jeremy Asbrock, who served as Frehley’s rhythm guitar player longer than any other musician in his solo bands, described the collaboration as a dream gig for any KISS superfan. The Nashville shredder joined Frehley’s touring lineup in 2018 after an unexpected connection through Gene Simmons’ band during an Australian tour.
“Ace isn’t just an influence of mine. This is the person that laid the path before me when I was four years old. I’ve never wanted to do anything else, and he was the guy that brought it all to me,” Asbrock told Rolling Stone. The guitarist recalled surreal moments performing alongside his childhood hero, particularly when Frehley would slip into his iconic stage stance during classics like “Deuce” and “Cold Gin”.
The band’s formation came about through an interesting twist of fate. Asbrock and his Nashville colleagues Ryan Spencer Cook and Scot Coogan were touring Australia with Gene Simmons when Frehley requested to borrow the musicians for his opening slot. “Gene said, ‘If it’s OK with them, it’s OK with me,'” Asbrock recalled.
“Later on, Gene pulled me into his dressing room, and the Kiss cruise was coming up, and he told us that Ace was going to ask us to do the cruise. Then we went to Japan from there with Ace and he asked us to be the band. I joined in September of 2018, so I’ve held the guitar-player position longer than any musician he’s had, consecutively.”
Philip Shouse, who played bass in Frehley’s solo band from 2018 to 2022 before joining German metal band Accept, highlighted the guitarist’s unexpected sense of humour. “He was really funny. He was really goofy. And I mean this in the best way, sometimes it was like, ‘Wow, he is from another planet, isn’t he?'” Shouse observed. “He just had this way about him that was unlike anybody I’ve ever met.”
The Nashville musicians, who have been integral to the city’s vibrant rock scene through their weekly showcase Thee Rock N Roll Residency, credit Frehley with shaping their musical journeys. Shouse particularly noted how Frehley’s solos made guitar playing finally click for him during his school years. “When I heard his solos, it all clicked,” he said.
Beyond his legendary status, Asbrock emphasised Frehley’s relatability offstage. “He’s totally human. We’ve had conversations where he’s been very vulnerable to me, just like, real dude conversations,” he shared.
