Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has paid a heartfelt and detailed tribute to the late, legendary KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, remembering him as the “coolest dude out of the original four” and a “massive influence” on his own musical journey. Frehley, the iconic “Spaceman,” passed away on Thursday, October 16, at the age of 74.
In a lengthy and personal post to the band’s social media on Friday, Åkerfeldt shared his shock and sadness, and reflected on the profound impact Frehley had on him as a young musician.
He wrote:
“It is with great sadness and shock that we say goodbye and ‘thank you’ to Paul ‘Ace‘ Frehley. A rocking beacon of light for guitar players worldwide. A massive influence for many, let alone for myself and Fredrik [Åkesson].
“As far as I’m concerned Ace was the coolest dude out of the original four. He had some type of swagger that almost defined the term itself. A hard rocking Keith Richards of sorts, albeit in silver makeup and platform heels.”
“KISS was very much an introduction to my ‘school of rock’. All my childhood friends were fans of KISS, and many of them regarded Ace as the ultimate rock-star.”
“Ace Frehley was awesome. Plain and simple. I think of him now, not only as the great ‘left-to-right’ swaying guitarist with the smoking Gibson Les Paul, but also as that jovial dude that contradicted/challenged the generic (and sometimes silly) rock-star mannerism of ‘bosses’, Gene and Paul. The ‘spaceman’ was human, after all.”
“If you haven’t seen Ace Frehley go off on a joking/laughing rant during the KISS interview with Tom Snyder in 1979, I strongly advise for you to do so. His laugh was equally contagious to that of Elvis Presley‘s classic and heart-warming live rendition of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight‘ from 1969. Priceless!”
“It’s likely there will be a sit down with my KISS collection tonight. With that said, I do that all the time anyways. Regardless of any tragic events like the one we find ourselves in at present.”
“Ace Frehley will be missed by millions. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and fans.”
“Lots of love, from Opeth“
Frehley‘s passing was confirmed by his family in their own emotional statement. “We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” they wrote. “In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth… Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”
Åkerfeldt‘s tribute joins a global chorus of mourning from fans and fellow musicians, including Frehley‘s former KISS bandmates Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss.
