Ace Frehley Says Kiss Fell Apart ‘Once We Became Rich’

Ace Frehley believes the original Kiss lineup was a victim of its own success.

As the band’s first guitarist, Frehley’s initial tenure lasted from 1973 to 1982. That run included Kiss’ rise to international fame and featured many of their most commercially successful releases. Still, Frehley’s exit in 1982 was the result of growing tensions within the band, both due to creative differences and personality clashes.

During an appearance on the Guitar Tales podcast, the guitarist reflected upon his history with the band.

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“We created something that will endure way after we’re all dead and buried,” Frehley declared. “I try to let the negative stuff go and focus on the positive memories. We had a lot of fun. We used to really be very closely knit. And we’d have weekly band meetings and get the stuff off our chest that was bothering us.”

The guitarist then noted that things changed when the band tasted success.

“Once we became rich, we all became millionaires, everybody started going their own way,” he confessed. “Everybody had their own limo. Everybody had their own bodyguard. So, you know, nothing can last forever.”

Ace Frehley Says Getting Rich Was the ‘Beginning of the End’

In a separate part of the interview, Frehley reflected upon Kiss’ early years, when the band’s members had to hold down day jobs to help pay the bills.

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“Paul [Stanley] worked in a sandwich shop. I delivered liquor. I was a postman for six months. We did all sorts of jobs before we started making the big bucks,” Frehley noted. “In the early days, me and Gene [Simmons] used to room together in a Holiday Inn. And then after ‘Alive’ hit we each had our own suites. That’s when the band started, you know, everybody was going in their own direction. And it was kind of the beginning of the end.”

Frehley did return to Kiss for a second tenure, lasting from 1996 to 2002. Despite fan speculation that he may make a guest appearance, the guitarist didn’t take part in any of the band’s concerts during their 2023 farewell tour.