Ace Frehley
Guitar Legend and Founding Member of KISS
It could be argued that Ace Frehley was the most influential guitarist of the '70s. When Kiss hit its 1976-79 commercial peak, there was no rock band more entrenched in the minds of America's youth. And if you asked random Kiss fans who was their favorite member, the answer was more often than not "Ace." It's no wonder some of the most successful artists of the last 10 years—from Garth Brooks to Skid Row to Pearl Jam—have cited Frehley and Kiss as major influences. Frehley teamed up with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss to form Kiss in New York City in 1973. Taking the glitter ball from their NYC glam-rock contemporaries and running with it, the members of Kiss donned outrageous makeup and costumes and assumed comic-book hero personas: Simmons, the demon; Stanley, the lover; Criss, the catman; and Frehley, the otherworldly spaceman. Frehley's "Space Ace" persona and fiery, melodic guitar solos would become key factors in Kiss' rise to arena superstardom. (It was Frehley who designed Kiss' iconic logo.) -Magnet Magazine
It could be argued that Ace Frehley was the most influential guitarist of the '70s. When Kiss hit its 1976-79 commercial peak, there was no rock band more entrenched in the minds of America's youth. And if you asked random Kiss fans who was their favorite member, the answer was more often than not "Ace." It's no wonder some of the most successful artists of the last 10 years—from Garth Brooks to Skid Row to Pearl Jam—have cited Frehley and Kiss as major influences. Frehley teamed up with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss to form Kiss in New York City in 1973. Taking the glitter ball from their NYC glam-rock contemporaries and running with it, the members of Kiss donned outrageous makeup and costumes and assumed comic-book hero personas: Simmons, the demon; Stanley, the lover; Criss, the catman; and Frehley, the otherworldly spaceman. Frehley's "Space Ace" persona and fiery, melodic guitar solos would become key factors in Kiss' rise to arena superstardom. (It was Frehley who designed Kiss' iconic logo.) -Magnet Magazine