Ace Frehley's Bandmates Share Memories of the Late KISS Guitarist Whitney DanhauerOctober 25, 2025 at 10:02 PM 0 When Ace Frehley unknowingly played his final concert last month, he was surrounded by the Nashville musicians who had played by his side for years.
- - Ace Frehley's Bandmates Share Memories of the Late KISS Guitarist
Whitney DanhauerOctober 25, 2025 at 10:02 PM
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When Ace Frehley unknowingly played his final concert last month, he was surrounded by the Nashville musicians who had played by his side for years. Nashville guitarist Jeremy Asbrock had been Frehley's right-hand man since 2018, tearing through KISS staples like "Cold Gin" and solo favorites like "New York Groove."
"Ace isn't just an influence of mine. This is the person that laid the path before me when I was four years old. I've never wanted to do anything else, and he was the guy that brought it all to me," he told Rolling Stone in an interview published on Friday, October 24. "Some nights onstage, it was extremely surreal, especially when he was having a really great show, and he'd get in that stance and start doing his thing. It was like, 'Man, there it is. That's it right there, and it's standing right beside me.'"
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Along with Asbrock, Frehley's final lineup included Ryan Spencer Cook on bass and Scot Coogan on drums. The musicians, who were veterans of Nashville's rock scene, also hosted a weekly showcase called Thee Rock N Roll Residency that often featured surprise guests like Alice Cooper and Cheap Trick's Robin Zander. While the Spaceman may have been known for his interstellar persona, in his last years, Frehley was surrounded by a group of down-to-earth friends who were more than happy to talk about everyday life .
"He's totally human," Asbrock said. "We've had conversations where he's been very vulnerable to me, just like, real-dude conversations. Gene [Simmons] was not going to call me up and talk about real-life things. And, you know, Ace has."
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Fellow guitarist Philip Shouse, who also performed in Frehley's solo band, remembered the the rock icon's out-there humor.
"He is really funny. He was really goofy. And I mean this in the best way, sometimes it was like, 'Wow, he is from another planet, isn't he?'" he said. "Ace taught me how to play lead guitar. Nothing made sense until I heard him play."
RELATED: 'New York Groove' Climbs the Charts After Ace Frehley's Death at 74
In September, Frehley had a fall in his music studio and announced in a since-deleted Instagram post that he had to cancel an upcoming show, but he was optimistic that he'd be back on the road in no time. However, a little over a week later he canceled the rest of his tour due to "ongoing medical issues."
News broke on October 16 that Frehley had been hospitalized and placed on life support, and he died later that same day at age 74.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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