Trixter guitarist Steve Brown, who was the primary collaborator on Ace Frehley‘s recent comeback album 10,000 Volts, has opened up about the Kiss icon’s sudden passing, calling it a “tragic ending” that has left him reeling.
In a new, emotional interview on Troy Patrick Farrell‘s “This That And The Other” radio show, Brown shared his grief and confirmed that he and Frehley were already preparing a follow-up album.
“Very, very sad times. It was a tragic ending for Ace. I didn’t expect it. And we’re all still grieving,” Brown said. “I’m looking around my studio. I have stuff around and stuff that we were working on… we were set to start, in a couple months, working on the follow-up to 10,000 Volts. I’d already sent him a couple of ideas. But that’s not to be, sadly.”
Brown, who has long cited Kiss and Van Halen as his biggest influences, spoke about the profound loss of Frehley, who had evolved from his “first guitar hero” into a close friend.
“I miss my buddy already. I miss the stupid texts back and forth,” Brown shared. “I’ve always said that Kiss and Van Halen were the two bands that changed my life forever, and becoming friends with Ed Van Halen and Ace Frehley, I feel so blessed. And they left us too early.”
Brown painted a warm, personal picture of Frehley, separate from his well-documented rock and roll persona.
“Look, we all have our flaws, and his has been well-documented, but deep down in his heart, he was a great guy,” Brown insisted. “Some of the best moments I had were right here where I’d cook him dinner upstairs, and it would be just me and him, or he’d be doing down here doing card tricks for my daughters. He was a really, really special guy.”
When asked by Farrell if any unreleased material from the 10,000 Volts sessions exists, Brown confirmed that there are unfinished tracks.
“Yeah. There are a couple things that we didn’t get to finish. That’s not really up to me,” he said, adding that he expects musical tributes to emerge. He also confirmed that a public memorial is in the works. “I know Eddie Trunk and I have already talked about… a memorial show. So that’s definitely gonna happen at some point. But right now it’s still too fresh and we’re all still grieving.”
Brown concluded: “The music world lost a rock and roll superhero, that’s for sure. But the music and his character will live on forever. So God bless Ace.”
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