Paul Stanley Breaks Silence On Ace Frehley Feud

KISS vocalist Paul Stanley recently hosted his “Cooking With Paul Stanley” seminar at “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” where KISS played an “unmasked” set on November 15th). This marked the band’s first full electric performance since the completion of KISS’s “End Of The Road” farewell tour in 2023. Following that, Stanley took part in an impromptu question-and-answer session with audience members.

Paul Stanley talks about Ace Frehley

Paul Stanley said that KISS had many disagreements with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, but they’re still family and crucial to the band’s legacy. The band couldn’t have started without them, even though it eventually had to move on. He said Ace was excited about the idea of going to the Kennedy Center, and that he hopes Ace lived the life he wanted—wild, unique, and with no regrets. Stanley ended by saying that’s all anyone can hope for: to live the life they want, just not to leave too soon.

He said: “It’s no secret — we had lots of differences with Ace, lots of differences with [original KISS drummer] Peter [Criss]. But that’s family. This whole KISS monument was built with a foundation of those guys. We couldn’t have started it without them, and we couldn’t continue it with them, but it doesn’t change [their contributions]. [Ace] was so thrilled with the idea of going to the Kennedy Center… We miss him, and I hope he lived the kind of life he wanted to. He was one of a kind and he was wild, and he did say if his life ended tomorrow, he’d have no regrets because he lived the kind of life he wanted to. That’s all we can expect from any of us — when it’s over, hopefully we’ve had the kinds of lives that we wanted. That’s what I wish for all of you — just don’t go too soon.”

Ace Frehley passed away at the age of 74, in Morristown, New Jersey, surrounded by his family, following a fall and health complications. A week after his passing, an intimate memorial celebrating the life of the legendary guitarist took place in New York City’s Bronx borough. Both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had attended the funeral.