ACE FREHLEY: 'I Never Thought KISS Would Be That Big'

June 18, 2007

Travis Tritten of The Sun News reports:

He's the spaceman in what fans call the greatest band in the universe.

Iconic guitarist Ace Frehley touched down Saturday (June 16) at Broadway at the Beach [in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina] for KISS Coffeehouse's first anniversary.

Hundreds of fans with KISS paraphernalia, make-up and tattoos waited in line to see the '70s group's guitarist.

Some traveled from across the country and paid $150 to share a moment with Frehley, who signed autographs and hugged his fans.

"I never thought [KISS] would be that big. It was just something we threw together," said Frehley, who designed the band's famous insignia. "It's a phenomenon."

Jennifer Wood drove from Pensacola, Fla., and paid for a meeting and album-signing with her favorite guitarist.

"He's mysterious. You don't see him very often," said Wood, who kept watch of the coffee house Web site and bought her VIP pass the day the tickets went on sale.

It was Frehley's first visit to the one-year-old coffeehouse, which is adorned with KISS memorabilia and concert video.

After a year and a winter overhaul, the shop is doing brisk business, said owner Brian Galvin.

"Merchandise is a much bigger piece of our business than we anticipated," he said.

Despite the long line of fans waiting to get in Saturday, most of the shop's patrons aren't diehard KISS fans and come in first for the coffee, Galvin said.

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