“The fact that I played rhythm guitar on Cold Gin on stage alongside Ace will always seem surreal”: My time with the Spaceman – why Ace Frehley was one hero you had to meet

A commonly uttered warning is “Never meet your heroes,” but Ace Frehley is a hero I met on many occasions – and I'm thankful I did.

Even though he met countless people, he always greeted me with a big smile and a loud, “Hey, I know this guy! How’s it going, Nick?” He also made me laugh – a lot. He was a truly funny guy, not to mention a master storyteller.

The first few times I met Ace, I was either wearing my “Guitar World journalist” or “Marshall Amplification Artist Relations” hat. Then we became friends – a priceless gift that still blows me away. The fact that I was also fortunate enough to play rhythm guitar on Parasite and Cold Gin on stage alongside Ace at a couple of Dimebash charity concerts will always seem surreal too. Can you say, “huge bucket list item”?!

In the early 2000s, I performed a Marshall demo at a big public guitar show in New York City. Ace was there doing a signing, so I opened by playing a segment from his She solo spot from Alive!.

I apologized to him afterwards, saying, “I hope you didn’t mind me doing that, my friend. I love that part and couldn’t resist playing it.” He replied, “I didn’t mind at all, Nick. You played it pretty well.” Then, after a perfectly timed pause, he added, “But not as well as I do, kid!” before breaking into one of his instantly recognizable, trademark laughs. Classic Ace.

Another unforgettable Ace moment was his touching tribute speech to the much-missed Abbott brothers (of Pantera fame) at Vinnie Paul’s funeral service. I had the honor of being the emcee at the ceremony, which was a celebration of an amazing life, and the speech Ace gave that day was unforgettable – thoughtful, emotional and funny.

Aside from a few texts, the last time our paths crossed was after he performed at the Eagles Theater in Wabash, Indiana, in 2022. His band played a proverbial blinder, and so did he. Ace was 71 at the time, but he performed with the energy and passion of someone less than half his age.

After he’d signed a pile of stuff backstage, he told me an amazing story about how he’d managed to buy the white-gold watch he had on his wrist for next to nothing because, “the pawn-shop dealer was a total moron who had no freakin’ clue what he had or how valuable it was!”

Once again, it was classic Ace, and my sides were aching from laughing; boy, could he spin a captivating yarn. I left the venue that night with a spring in my step and a big-assed grin as I’d just been entertained and inspired by a living legend – on and off the stage!

My thoughts are with Ace's loved ones, family, friends and bandmates. He was one of a kind, and there’ll never be another quite like him. Ace, thank you for the incredible inspiration your playing has blessed me with, and thanks for all the belly laughs! Your music, memory, influence and legend will live on.

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