Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has hit back at Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley following a string of insults directed his way in recent months, saying: “If Gene and Paul had half a brain, they would realise what’s going on and start saying good things about Ace.”
In an interview with Guitar World, Frehley says he’s fed-up with the pair’s disparaging remarks and also boasted he could blow current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer off the stage.
“When I was fucked up, Gene used to say I was a drunk and a drug addict and that I was unemployable,” he says. “Kick a guy when he’s down, right? But they can’t do that anymore, so it’s like they’re scratching their heads trying to come up with new ways to insult me.”
Speaking about Stanley’s comments that he was anti-Semitic, Frehley hit back: “That’s just below the belt. Next I’ll be a member of the Ku Klux Klan. My fiancee is Jewish and my whole life I’ve worked with Jewish people. I can’t believe the stuff that comes out of their mouths.
“Paul has been so goddamn cranky lately. I mean, what’s wrong, Paul? Aren’t you happy? I know they must be frustrated because people are always writing about how Ace was the real deal. It’s got to rub them the wrong way. They would like nothing more than for me to start drinking and taking drugs again and end up as a bum on skid row – but that’s not going to happen.
“Anybody who says anything bad about me is foolish, because a lot of people like me. You’re gonna make enemies when you put down Ace Frehley – that’s because I’m a straight shooter. I tell it like it is.
“You would think if Gene and Paul had half a brain, they would realise what’s going on and start saying good things about Ace.”
Simmons recently ended any speculation of the four original Kiss members reuniting after their appearance together at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, saying: “Not a chance. We’ve already danced that dance three different times. No way will we reunite – it wouldn’t be fair to current band members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.”
The foursome didn’t play together at the event, which left many long-term fans disappointed and Frehley wasn’t happy about the decision, saying: “The fans wanted it, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted it, but Paul and Gene didn’t. It’s sad – they definitely lost some fans because of the decision. But I still got the chops – I definitely blow Tommy Thayer off the stage.”
Frehley’s first solo album in five years, Space Invader, will be released on August 18.
