Original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley says he would have “made it” whether or not he joined the band.
Space Ace, who had two spells in Kiss before his final show with the band in 2002, says his perseverance and desire to be a musician were always going to see him reach the heights.
Asked what advice he would give to young musicians, Frehley tells Music Business Facts: “Practice, practice and more practice. And never give up – persevere. I always believed that even if I wouldn’t have joined Kiss, I would have joined another supergroup and made it.”
Frehley, who released his latest solo album Space Invader last year, adds that he isn’t bothered by current Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer wearing his Spaceman makeup – so long as he keeps getting paid for it.
He says: “All the makeups for each character are trademarked, they were trademarked many years ago. And my attorney told me that I license my makeup to Kiss and they pay me a royalty for that.
“I license it to Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, so they can do whatever they want with it, as long as they pay me. It’s not the best situation, but like they say, there ain’t nothing like the real thing.”
Kiss will headline this year’s Download festival, playing the main stage on Sunday.
