ACE FREHLEY On How He Has Stayed Sober For 18 Years: 'I Listen To My Sponsor. I Go To Meetings.'

In a recent interview with "Guitar Tales" with Dave Cohen, former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, who has been sober since 2006, discussed his decision to finally step away from alcohol nearly two decades ago. He had begun drinking at the age of 13 and battled addiction issues since the 1970s before a conversation with his daughter persuaded him that he had to stop.

"I can go out and people can have one or two cocktails," Ace said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It doesn't bother me anymore. The first or second year in sobriety, it would have bothered me, but I don't really get urges anymore.

"After 17 years looking in the mirror and then looking at photos of me 20 years ago when I was all bloated from alcohol, that also gives me the willpower and the strength to stay away from all that junk… I listen to my sponsor. I go to meetings. If something's bothering me, I'll go to a meeting and I'll share it and then I get rid of it. You let it roll off your back and it's gone, instead of having to take a pill or a drink to get rid of that resentment."

According to Frehley, his at-times-strained relationship with fellow KISS co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons initially contributed to his drinking problem.

"I had really big resentments against Paul and Gene when I quit the band the first time and even the second time," he explained. "They used to say I got fired, which is complete bullshit. Both times I left on my own accord, and they would perpetuate the myth that they fired me, which is complete bullshit."

As for why he thinks Stanley and Simmons were always so quick to downplay his contributions to the band, Frehley said: "There was always a jealousy there. The fact that my solo album, with 'New York Groove', was the most successful out of the four. I used to get the hottest girls. I didn't go after movie stars, though, 'cause that just complicates things. 'Cause you're a celebrity, you've got another celebrity there and it's twice as complicated. So I don't understand why Gene went out with Cher, Diana Ross. It just became harder, if you wanna go do anything. But Gene doesn't party. So, he's pretty much in the hotel. And he doesn't like going out on vacations, he told me. He hasn't been on a vacation in 15-plus years. But everybody's different."

Ace went on to say that Paul and Gene "dragged my reputation through the mud on several occasions. I mean, even recently," he said. "[More than a year] ago, once they put the tickets on sale for [KISS's final show at] Madison Square Garden [in New York City], they were telling everybody that they invited me, Peter [Criss], Bruce Kulick, all the people that were involved with KISS over the years. I was a founding member. And they were telling the fans that we were gonna be there at Madison Square Garden and then Paul goes on 'Howard Stern [Show]' and says, well, if me and Peter got up on stage, you might as well call the band PISS, which pissed me off."

Five years ago, Frehley recalled the phone call that led him to finally step away from alcohol, telling SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "I got a phone call from my daughter, Monique, and she was living in Florida at the time. A lot of alcoholics talk about how they had that moment of clarity… Monique called me up and she goes, 'Dad, I heard you been drinking again.' I go, 'Yeah, but I haven't done anything else bad, you know? I haven't done any coke yet, I haven't done any pills.' She goes, 'Dad, it's time to stop.' She goes, 'You better call your sponsor and tell them to take you to a meeting tonight.' And I looked in the mirror and I looked like shit. I just said to her, 'All right, honey, I'll give Jimmy a call.' He came and picked me up right after dinner, [and] he took me to my first meeting. He's like my guardian angel on earth. I got a lot of them floating around me. After 10 car accidents, someone's got to be helping me."

After host Eddie Trunk noted that some people still thought he was "loaded", Ace paraphrased an Abraham Lincoln quote, saying: "If you want to find the bad in people, and look for the bad in people, you surely will." He continued: "There's always those people who want to see somebody fall, and people who want to look at the best in people. I always try to look at the good in people. The glass is half full, not half empty.

"Every time I perform a concert I usually have meet-and-greets after the show," he added. "At least one person comes up to me and says, 'Ace, I've been sober two years,' 'Ace, I've been sober five years.' I'm helping people live longer lives, more fruitful lives, because I'm a power of example. Go figure."

The original KISS guitarist is continuing to tour in support of his latest solo album, "10,000 Volts", which was released in February via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). The LP was produced by Ace and Steve Brown (TRIXTER).

Frehley recently revealed that his next release will be a third "Origins" volume, covering songs by artists who influenced him. He will once again work with Brown on the project, which is tentatively due in 2025.

Photo credit: Jayme Thornton