Gene Simmons Says Ace Frehley Was ‘Self-Destructive’ During KISS ‘Destroyer’ Era

KISS drummer and loudmouth in chief Gene Simmons has opened up about the messier side of the band’s classic era, pointing the finger (gently, apparently) at original guitarist Ace Frehley and the chaos brewing during the making of Destroyer.

Speaking on Professor of Rock, Simmons reflected on Frehley’s behaviour during the 1975 sessions and didn’t pretend it was smooth sailing. According to Simmons, Ace wasn’t just hard to track down, he straight up stopped showing up to the studio while the band was trying to record one of their biggest records.

“And so Ace, and again we love him to pieces and his memory will always be with us and so on. This was al this was also the time when Ace stopped coming to the studios to the studio while we were recording,” Simmons said.

He made it clear he wasn’t trying to roast the guitarist for sport, but to put the story on the table as it happened.

“And this is not mudslinging. This is just you’re all grown up. We all love the band, but it’s time to know the truth. Ace was going through the beginning stages of self-destructive behavior either what he ingested or not.”

Simmons then dropped a moment that says a lot about where Ace’s head was at back then, while the rest of KISS were grinding through sessions, Frehley reportedly had other priorities, and they weren’t exactly rock ’n’ roll myth making.

“But at one point, I remember calling him and saying, ‘Hey, we’re recording. It’s time for you to do solos.’ And he says, ‘I can’t come down. I’ve got a card game.’ And I’m not doing Ace’s voice or making fun or anything. That was a quote,” he continued.

Dick Wagner steps in

With Ace missing in action, Simmons claims the band pulled in guitarist Dick Wagner to handle solos, noting his session work history and reminding fans that plenty of “classic” recordings aren’t always what they seem.

“So, we replaced Ace with Dick Wagner, who appeared on Alice Cooper Records, and Aerosmith. Some of those early Aerosmith songs you think are Joe, it’s not. It’s Dick Wagner. You know, every band’s got their thing. And by the way, I don’t really care. At the end of the day, you either like a song or you don’t, no matter how you get there. So there are no rules.”

The early Destroyer sessions kicked off September 3rd to 6th, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios in New York, with Bob Ezrin pushing discipline, something KISS weren’t exactly famous for.