135-475: Paul Daniel " Ace " Frehley ( / ˈ f r eɪ l i / , FRAY -lee ; born April 27, 1951) is an American musician who was the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist and founding member of the rock band Kiss . He invented the persona of The Spaceman (a.k.a. Space Ace ) and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley formed his own band named Frehley's Comet and released two albums with
270-547: A Backpage sex trafficking exposé, Village Voice Media executives Scott Tobias, Christine Brennan and Jeff Mars bought Village Voice Media's papers and associated web properties from its founders in September 2012, and formed the Denver-based Voice Media Group . In May 2013, The Village Voice editor Will Bourne and deputy editor Jessica Lustig told The New York Times that they were quitting
405-454: A concept album rather than a straightforward rock album, and, by Frehley's own admission, his "not relating all that well" to producer Bob Ezrin , who cut many of Frehley's solos from the recorded tracks. Although Frehley appeared on the covers for the 1982 releases Killers and Creatures of the Night , he had no involvement with Killers , and minimal (no musical) input on Creatures of
540-541: A $ 250,000 payment for each of the two final shows. Frehley also denied that he and Criss had been invited, claiming that "[Stanley and Simmons] just said that to sell tickets." 10,000 Volts was released in 2024, debuting at #72 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 13,000 units. Frehley's next album, Origins Vol. 3 , is tentatively due in 2025. Ace Frehley released his autobiography, No Regrets – A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir , on November 1, 2011. The autobiography
675-498: A $ 50 a week salary from new manager Bill Aucoin , and Frehley quit his cabbie job. Kiss released their debut album, Kiss , in February 1974 – Frehley was credited for writing two songs, "Love Theme from KISS" (the only song co-written by the four original members) and a fan classic, " Cold Gin ". Due to Frehley's lack of confidence in his own singing voice, however, Simmons performed the vocals. Frehley wrote or co-wrote several of
810-441: A cartoonish image for these younger fans. The fans were unaware of the dissension within the band. One very public indication of the heightened friction within the group was an infamous October 31, 1979, interview on Tom Snyder 's late-night The Tomorrow Show . During the episode, a visibly irritated Simmons and Stanley attempted, unsuccessfully, to contain the inebriated Frehley, whose frequent laughter and joking overshadowed
945-507: A certain country makes them that much more rabid for you to go. In May 1977, Kiss made the first of its many comic book appearances, in Howard the Duck issue 12, published by Marvel Comics . The first Kiss compilation album, Double Platinum , was issued on April 2, 1978. This double album included many remixed versions of the band's hits, as well as "Strutter '78", a re-recorded version of
1080-515: A deal to produce the Kiss biopic titled Shout it Out Loud , which will be released in 2024. The film will be made with close cooperation from both Simmons and Stanley, and will focus on the formative years of the band. Following the announcement of the biopic, a two-part documentary on the band titled Biography: Kisstory was also announced and aired on A&E on both June 27 and 28, 2021, with an exclusive live performance following after its debut at
1215-436: A few unsuccessful attempts at securing a recording contract, the group eventually signed to Megaforce Records and released their first album, Frehley's Comet , on July 7, 1987. The album was co-produced by Eddie Kramer , who had produced not only a number of Kiss albums, but Frehley's 1978 album and some of his 1984–85 demos. Fig, now being the in-studio drummer for David Letterman 's late-night television show, performed on
1350-736: A four-year-long farewell tour, the End of the Road World Tour , in January 2019 and retired after performing their final show in New York City in December 2023. Kiss is regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of all time, as well as one of the best selling bands of all time , claiming to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, including 21 million RIAA -certified albums. Kiss has also earned 30 Gold albums,
1485-418: A fully digital venture, on a date to be announced. The final printed edition, featuring a 1965 photo of Bob Dylan on the cover, was distributed on September 21, 2017. After halting print publication in 2017, The Voice provided daily coverage through its website until August 31, 2018, when it announced it was ceasing production of new editorial content. On December 23, 2020, editor R. C. Baker announced that
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#17328013384581620-576: A hawk, though it was rejected when Stanley and Aucoin saw Carr in the bright yellow costume Kiss had designed for the new drummer. Carr created the "Fox" persona by the middle of July. In his Fox makeup, Carr debuted with the group on July 25, 1980, at the Palladium concert hall in New York City. This was Kiss's only U.S. show in support of Unmasked . On July 30, 1980, Kiss introduced Carr on ABC's Kids Are People Too! , which would air in September. The band's 1980 tour of Australia and New Zealand, on
1755-426: A host to underground cartoonists. In addition to mainstay Jules Feiffer , whose cartoon ran for decades in the paper until its cancellation in 1996, well-known cartoonists featured in the paper have included R. Crumb , Matt Groening , Lynda Barry , Stan Mack , Mark Alan Stamaty , Ted Rall , Tom Tomorrow , Ward Sutton , Ruben Bolling and M. Wartella . Backpage was a classified advertisement website owned by
1890-443: A live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite". It was the first version of the song with a guitar solo, and this recording has become the best-known version. It is also the basis of most covers, such as the cover by Poison in 1987. In recent years the band admitted that additional audience noise had been added to the album, as well as overdubs on select guitar and vocal spots, not to deceive fans, but to add more "excitement and realism" to
2025-513: A member of Kiss. Frehley's earliest bands included The Outrage, The Four Roses, King Kong, Honey (a cover band), and The Magic People. When Frehley's later band, Cathedral, began getting paying gigs , he dropped out of high school. At the insistence of his family and girlfriend, Frehley eventually returned and earned a diploma. After graduation, Frehley held a string of short-term jobs, including mail carrier , furniture deliverer, messenger, taxi driver and liquor store delivery person. Frehley spent
2160-463: A new group. After breaking up Wicked Lester late in 1972, Simmons and Stanley came across an ad in the East Coast version of Rolling Stone placed by Peter Criss , a drummer from the New York City scene who had previously played in the bands Lips and Chelsea . Simmons and Stanley met Criss in a nightclub where he was playing drums. After hearing Criss sing, they thought Criss should be in
2295-549: A pattern emerging with us on the road. Every night, I'd ask somebody before the show, "How are we doing?", which meant, "What's the attendance?" One night they said, "It's sold out," and then the next night I'd hear the same thing. All of a sudden it was becoming the norm. For me the first realization that things were on an upswing was when we played the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. Before the show I went on stage, looked out through
2430-1041: A platform for the creative community of New York City. It ceased publication in 2017, although its online archives remained accessible. After an ownership change, The Voice reappeared in print as a quarterly in April 2021. The Village Voice has received three Pulitzer Prizes , the National Press Foundation Award, and the George Polk Award . The Village Voice hosted a variety of writers and artists, including writer Ezra Pound , cartoonist Lynda Barry , artist Greg Tate , music critic Robert Christgau , and film critics Andrew Sarris , Jonas Mekas , and J. Hoberman . In October 2015, The Village Voice changed ownership and severed all ties with former parent company Voice Media Group (VMG). The Voice announced on August 22, 2017, that it would cease publication of its print edition and convert to
2565-528: A song from the group's first album. At Bogart's request, this version of the song featured a disco influence. During this period, Kiss merchandise became a substantial source of income for the group. Some of the products released included a pair of comic books issued by Marvel (the first contained ink mixed with actual blood donated by the group), a pinball machine, dolls, "Kiss Your Face Makeup" kits, Halloween masks, board games , lunch boxes, trading cards and many other pieces of memorabilia. Membership in
2700-459: A special concert at Studio 54 in New York City, leaving Kiss to perform as a trio. He recorded his guitar parts at his home studio in Wilton, Connecticut , and mailed them to Ezrin. Another source of frustration for Frehley was that with the departure of Criss, and with Carr not being an equal partner in the band, he was often outvoted 2-to-1 on group decisions. In June 1982, Frehley's departure from
2835-502: A time early on when Ace and I would play, and I would do vibrato with my hand, and Ace would get vibrato by shaking his whole arm against the neck of the guitar [laughs] ." Live Kiss (band) Kiss (commonly styled as KISS ) was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals) and Peter Criss (drums, vocals). Known for their face paint and stage outfits,
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#17328013384582970-589: A two-bedroom apartment in Greenwich Village ; that was its initial coverage area, which expanded to other parts of the city by the 1960s. In 1960, it moved from 22 Greenwich Avenue to 61 Christopher Street in a landmark triangular corner building adjoining Sheridan Square, and a few feet west of the Stonewall Inn ; then, from the 1970s through 1980, at 11th Street and University Place; and then Broadway and 13th Street. It moved to Cooper Square in
3105-775: A valuable resource for reporters covering the Trump presidency. The Voice has published investigations of New York City politics, as well as reporting on national politics, with arts, culture, music, dance, film, and theater reviews. Writers and cartoonists for The Voice have received three Pulitzer Prizes : in 1981 ( Teresa Carpenter , for feature writing), 1986 ( Jules Feiffer , for editorial cartooning) and 2000 ( Mark Schoofs , for international reporting). The paper has, almost since its inception, recognized alternative theater in New York through its Obie Awards . The paper's " Pazz & Jop " music poll, started by Robert Christgau in
3240-507: Is no — both of them." In the June 2022 interview with Chaoszine , Simmons also discussed Frehley and Criss' health and a Kiss fan convention in May 2022, Nashville, Tennessee, called the "Creatures Fest". Frehley, Criss, Vinnie Vincent, and Bruce Kulick all performed at the event. Criss joined Frehley for part of Frehley's set, and both Kulick and Frehley joined Vincent for part of his set. Simmons
3375-527: The Creatures of the Night album. Vincent officially replaced Frehley as lead guitarist in December 1982, as the band embarked on its 10th Anniversary Tour. The Village Voice The Village Voice is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village , New York City , known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly . Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf , Ed Fancher , John Wilcock , and Norman Mailer , The Voice began as
3510-749: The Editor & Publisher EPpy Award for Best Overall U.S. Newspaper Online Service – Weekly, Community, Alternative & Free in 2003. In 2005, the Phoenix alternative weekly chain New Times Media purchased the company and took the Village Voice Media name. Previous owners of The Village Voice or of Village Voice Media have included co-founders Fancher and Wolf, New York City Councilman Carter Burden , New York magazine founder Clay Felker , Rupert Murdoch , and Leonard Stern of
3645-621: The Bedford Park section of the Bronx, Frehley graduated from Grace Lutheran School at age 13. Two of the high schools he attended were DeWitt Clinton High School on Mosholu Parkway and Theodore Roosevelt High School on Fordham Road . He got the nickname "Ace" in high school from friends who said he was "a real ace" for his ability to get dates . Also in his high school years, a guidance counselor encouraged him to get into graphic arts. He later credited guitar playing for "saving his life" as
3780-589: The East Village in 1991, and in 2013, to the Financial District . Early columnists of the 1950s and 1960s included Jonas Mekas , who explored the underground film movement in his "Film Journal" column; Linda Solomon , who reviewed the Village club scene in the "Riffs" column; and Sam Julty , who wrote a popular column on car ownership and maintenance. John Wilcock wrote a column every week for
3915-784: The Hartz Mountain empire. After The Village Voice was acquired by New Times Media in 2005, the publication's key personnel changed. The Voice was then managed by two journalists from Phoenix, Arizona . In April 2006, The Voice dismissed music editor Chuck Eddy . Four months later, the newspaper sacked longtime music critic Robert Christgau . In January 2007, the newspaper fired sex columnist and erotica author Rachel Kramer Bussel ; long-term creative director Ted Keller , art director Minh Oung, fashion columnist Lynn Yaeger and Deputy Art Director LD Beghtol were laid off or fired soon afterward. Editor in chief Donald Forst resigned in December 2005. Doug Simmons, his replacement,
4050-501: The Kiss Army , the band's fan club, was in the six figures. Between 1977 and 1979, worldwide merchandise sales (in-store and on tour) reached an estimated $ 100 million. Alive II was the band's fourth Platinum album in just under two years, and the ensuing tour had the highest average attendance in the group's history. In addition, Kiss's gross income for 1977 was $ 10.2 million. The group, along with manager Aucoin, sought to push
4185-514: The Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2021. Simmons claimed (in June 2022 when being interviewed by Chaoszine ) that he and Stanley had invited Frehley and Criss to participate in the documentary but that Frehley and Criss told Simmons that "they might do it if they have complete control of the edit. I said, 'We can't do that, because even we don't have that. But I won't control what you say; you can say whatever you want.' The answer
Ace Frehley - Misplaced Pages Continue
4320-566: The hook ", a reference to the stereotypical "Jewish" nose . Despite the publicity and constant touring, Kiss initially sold just 75,000 copies. Meanwhile, the group and Casablanca Records were losing money quickly. The band (while touring) stopped in Los Angeles in August 1974 to begin recording its second album, Hotter Than Hell , which was released on October 22, 1974. The only single, " Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll ", failed to chart, and
4455-445: The 14th Greatest Metal Guitarist of All Time. Outside Kiss, Frehley achieved further commercial success and popularity, with his debut solo album achieving platinum status. His first album with his Frehley's Comet band was also a big success. Frehley is noted for his aggressive, atmospheric and melodic guitar playing and is also known for the use of many "special effects" guitars, including a Gibson Les Paul guitar that emits smoke from
4590-421: The 1980s, he and Criss had maintained good ties during the decade. In June 1995, Frehley's and Criss' bands embarked on the "Bad Boys Tour" with Scarlet on guitar, marking the end of Frehley's solo band for several years as Kiss shortly thereafter reunited and began touring together again. In 1996, Frehley rejoined Kiss for a successful reunion tour, on which all four original members of the band performed live for
4725-479: The British magazine Classic Rock on their "The 50 Best Rock Bands of All Time" list. Kiss traces its roots to Wicked Lester , a New York City–based rock band led by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley . That band recorded one album, which was shelved by Epic Records , and played a handful of live shows. Simmons and Stanley, feeling a new musical direction was needed, abandoned Wicked Lester in 1972 and began forming
4860-511: The Finnish Chaoszine that he and Stanley had met with Frehley to try to convince him to make guest appearances with the band but that Frehley was making demands (regarding his makeup and having Thayer not play encores) that couldn't be satisfied. It was announced on December 15, 2020, that a Kiss biopic was in the works, with hopes to release it on time with the band's final concert. Deadline reported that Netflix has nearly finalized
4995-692: The GLF petitioned it to do so. Over time, The Voice changed its stance, and, in 1982, became the second organization in the US known to have extended domestic partner benefits. Jeff Weinstein, an employee of the paper and shop steward for the publishing local of District 65 UAW, negotiated and won agreement in the union contract to extend health, life insurance, and disability benefits to the "spouse equivalents" of its union members. The Voice ' s competitors in New York City include The New York Observer and Time Out New York . Seventeen alternative weeklies around
5130-624: The Kiss Kruise. The six musicians performed "2,000 Man", "New York Groove", "Nothin' to Lose", and "Rock and Roll All Nite". This was the first time Frehley and the band had performed together since 2002 for the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Kulick's first time performing with the band live since his departure in 1996. Frehley did not participate in Kiss' final tour, which began on January 31, 2019, in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada. Stanley and Simmons did not rule out
5265-452: The Night album artwork. When the album was remixed and re-released in 1985 with a non-makeup cover and a slightly different song order, to reflect the band's roster change and abandonment of its makeup and costumes, Vincent was again absent from the album cover, as then-current lead guitarist, Bruce Kulick , appeared instead. The liner notes accompanying the remixed LP, however, credited both Frehley and Vincent with lead guitar performances on
5400-557: The Night . Frehley's last appearances with the band were in the video for " I Love It Loud ", a series of European promotional appearances in November 1982, and a band interview with MTV promoting their world tour . In December 1982, Kiss began the Creatures of the Night tour without Frehley: he was replaced by Vinnie Vincent . Frehley retained a one-quarter share in the Kiss partnership until 1985, however. He received one-quarter of
5535-612: The Phantom of the Park , debuted on NBC on October 28, 1978. It was released theatrically, after many changes, outside the U.S. in 1979 under the title Attack of the Phantoms . The band members were unhappy with the finished film and would speak about their filmmaking experience in later interviews with a mix of humorous embarrassment and regret. They felt that the film portrayed them more as clowns than superheroes. The artistic failure of
Ace Frehley - Misplaced Pages Continue
5670-495: The Reading Eagle Company, and holds the same roles at The Village Voice . After taking over ownership of The Voice , Barbey named Joe Levy, formerly of Rolling Stone , as interim editor in chief, and Suzan Gursoy, formerly of Ad Week , as publisher. In December 2016, Barbey named Stephen Mooallem, formerly of Harper's Bazaar , as editor in chief. Mooallem resigned in May 2018, and was not replaced before
5805-553: The United States are owned by The Voice's former parent company Village Voice Media . The film section writers and editors also produced a weekly Voice Film Club podcast. In 1996, after decades of carrying a cover price, The Voice switched from a paid weekly to a free, alternative weekly. The Voice website was a recipient of the National Press Foundation 's Online Journalism Award in 2001 and
5940-577: The Void" would be the only original song Ace would release between his 1989 album Trouble Walkin' and his 2009 album Anomaly . In 2006 Frehley performed Kiss' "God of Thunder" with Rob Zombie , Slash , Gilby Clarke , Scott Ian , and Tommy Lee at the VH1 Rock Honors in Las Vegas , Nevada , United States on May 25, 2006. In October 2018, Frehley and Bruce Kulick reunited with Kiss on
6075-460: The album but was unable to maintain a permanent commitment to touring. He played on the 1987 tour in the United States when Frehley's band played a double bill with Y&T , and White Lion opening the shows. By the time the band began recording this album, Scarlet had left the group to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tod Howarth . In addition, at some point between the initial Frehley's Comet shows in 1984–85 and their signing to Megaforce,
6210-458: The album stalled at No. 100. With Hotter Than Hell quickly dropping off the charts, Kiss was pulled from its tour to quickly record a new album. Casablanca head Bogart stepped in to produce the next album, trading in the murky, distorted sound of Hotter Than Hell for a cleaner and slightly poppier sound. Dressed to Kill , released on March 19, 1975, fared slightly better commercially than Hotter Than Hell . It also contained what later became
6345-672: The album's sales rebound. The single was subsequently reissued with the A- and B-sides reversed. "Beth" peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 , becoming the band's first Top 10 single in the United States. In October 1976, Kiss appeared on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special (aired on ABC the 29th), lip-synching " Detroit Rock City ", " Beth " and " King of the Night Time World ". The show, co-produced by Bill Aucoin, helped introduce Kiss to an even wider audience. In addition to
6480-461: The band again following the 2000–2001 tour , which at the time was intended to be Kiss's last. Criss and Frehley were replaced by Singer and Tommy Thayer (Criss briefly rejoined the band from 2002 to 2004), respectively. In a move which proved controversial among fans, Singer and Thayer adopted the original Catman and Spaceman makeup respectively, rather than having their own unique makeup designs. After 46 years of recording and performing, Kiss began
6615-527: The band as was vocalist/guitarist Richie Scarlet and keyboardist Arthur Stead. The group, whose name alternated between 'Ace Frehley' and Frehley's Comet , recorded a series of demos throughout 1984 and 1985. The band performed their first ever live show at S.I.R. Studios in New York City on November 30, 1984, and played a handful of shows in the Northeast United States in March 1985. After
6750-497: The band claiming lack of payment in both cases. In order to reverse his band's declining commercial fortunes, Frehley dropped the Frehley's Comet moniker and issued 1989's Trouble Walkin' under his own name. Tod Howarth and Jamie Oldaker also decided to leave before recording started on the album, and were replaced by Scarlet and Sandy Slavin. Despite the return to a more traditional hard rock style, Trouble Walkin' continued
6885-444: The band for the next twelve years. Eric Carr died in 1991 of heart cancer and was replaced by Eric Singer . In response to a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the mid-1990s, the original lineup reunited in 1996, which also saw the return of their makeup and stage costumes. The resulting 1996–1997 reunion tour was highly successful, grossing $ 143.7 million, making it the band's most successful tour. Criss and Frehley subsequently left
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#17328013384587020-479: The band had become a four-piece, with Stead no longer playing with the group. Frehley's Comet , a mixture of hard rock and pop metal, was a successful return to the music scene for Frehley. The album peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 (selling nearly 500,000 copies), and the single, a Russ Ballard cover "Into the Night", reached No. 27 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. "Rock Soldiers"
7155-420: The band in 1985. Paul Stanley, however, has since denied the rumors of Eddie Van Halen wanting to join Kiss. Other notable guitarists who auditioned to replace Frehley included Punky Meadows of Angel , Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake , Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi , Yngwie Malmsteen , and Slash of Guns N' Roses . Soon afterward, Kiss made major changes to its business dealings – chief among them
7290-880: The band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters: the Starchild (Stanley), the Demon (Simmons), the Spaceman or Space Ace (Frehley), and the Catman (Criss). During the second half of the 1970s, Kiss became one of America's most successful rock bands and a pop culture phenomenon. Due to creative differences, Criss departed the band in 1980, followed by Frehley's departure in 1982. They were replaced by Eric Carr (the Fox) and Vinnie Vincent (the Ankh Warrior), respectively. The band's commercial success had declined during
7425-501: The band performed "Firehouse" on The Mike Douglas Show . This broadcast included Simmons's first televised interview, a conversation with Mike Douglas in which Simmons declared himself "evil incarnate", eliciting uncomfortable reactions from a confused studio audience. Fellow Jewish-American guest Totie Fields said it would be humorous if beneath all the makeup Simmons was "just a nice Jewish boy ". Simmons responded, "You should only know", to which Fields replied, "I do. You can't hide
7560-438: The band was negotiated, although he did not officially leave until December. Simmons stated in his autobiography Kiss and Make-Up that Van Halen founder Eddie Van Halen was eager to replace Frehley as Kiss's lead guitarist. Simmons and Eddie's brother Alex convinced Eddie to remain with Van Halen. Eddie was willing to break up Van Halen due to tensions between himself and lead vocalist David Lee Roth , who ultimately left
7695-475: The band's signature song, " Rock and Roll All Nite ". Although Kiss albums had not proved to be big sellers, the band was quickly gaining a reputation for its live performances. Kiss concerts featured such spectacles as Simmons spitting "blood" (an effect made primarily from eggs, yogurt, red food coloring, and maple syrup) and "breathing fire" (spitting flammable liquid at a torch), Frehley soloing as his guitar burst into flames (light and smoke bombs placed inside
7830-462: The band's songs over the next few years but did not record vocals on a song until " Shock Me " (inspired by his near-electrocution during a concert in Lakeland, Florida ), which appeared on 1977's Love Gun . As lead guitarist, Frehley was known for his frenetic, atmospheric playing, becoming one of the most popular guitarists in the 1970s and spawning a generation of new players. Frehley stated in
7965-460: The biggest seller since the introduction of Soundscan in 1991. The second part of Kiss's and Aucoin's plan called for the band to appear in a film that would cement its image of larger-than-life rock-and-roll superheroes. Filming commenced in the spring of 1978. Although the project was proposed to the band as a cross between A Hard Day's Night and Star Wars , the final result fell far short of those expectations. The final product, Kiss Meets
8100-452: The book Kiss: Behind the Mask that many guitarists have told him his playing on 1975's hit Alive! prompted them to pick up the instrument. Frehley is well recognized for using Gibson Les Paul guitars, including his trademarked model conversion Les Paul Custom (that was designed and implemented by John Elder Robison , known as "Ampie", an audio engineer working with the band), which filled
8235-446: The brand harder. To that end, an ambitious, two-pronged strategy was devised for 1978. The first part involved the simultaneous release of four solo albums from the members of Kiss. Although Kiss has claimed that the solo albums were intended to ease rising tensions within the band, its 1976 record contract did in fact call for four solo records, each of them counting as half an album toward the group's five-record commitment. Each album
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#17328013384588370-418: The charts and was not certified Gold until 1994. In Frehley's absence, Kiss utilized a number of guitarists for the recording of the album, especially Vinnie Vincent , who played on six tracks. Frehley's last appearance with the band (until the 1996 reunion) was in the music video for the single " I Love It Loud ", which was co-written by Vincent. Frehley also appeared on the cover of the original Creatures of
8505-468: The conversation between Snyder and the rest of the band. Criss made references to his large gun collection, to the chagrin of Simmons. By the end of the Dynasty tour in December 1979, tensions between Criss and the rest of the band were at an all-time high. His drumming skills had noticeably eroded, and he even intentionally slowed down—or stopped playing altogether—during some concerts. The final show of
8640-498: The curtain and saw this big crowd, and said to myself, "My God, this is really happening!" Kiss wanted to express the excitement felt at its concerts (which its studio albums had so far failed to do) with its first live album. Compiled from concerts recorded between May and July in Wildwood, New Jersey , Detroit and Cleveland , and released on September 10, 1975, Alive! achieved Gold status and spawned Kiss's first top 40 single:
8775-402: The door. On March 13 of that year, the band recorded a five-song demo tape with producer Eddie Kramer . Former TV director Bill Aucoin , who had seen the group at a handful of showcase concerts in the summer of 1973, offered to become the band's manager in mid-October. Kiss agreed, with the condition that Aucoin signed the band to a record label within two weeks. On November 1, 1973, Kiss became
8910-624: The early 1970s in a series of local bands including one called Molimo who recorded half an album for RCA Records in 1971. In late 1972, his friend, Chris Cassone, spotted an advertisement for a lead guitarist in The Village Voice and showed the ad to Frehley. Frehley went to 10 East 23rd Street above the Live Bait Bar and auditioned for Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (bass guitar), and Peter Criss (drums). Frehley showed up wearing one red and one orange sneaker and
9045-425: The early 1970s, is released annually and remains an influential survey of the nation's music critics. In 1999, film critic J. Hoberman and film section editor Dennis Lim began a similar Village Voice Film Poll for the year in film. In 2001, The Voice sponsored its first music festival, Siren Festival, a free annual event every summer held at Coney Island . The event moved to the lower tip of Manhattan in 2011, and
9180-481: The early 1980s before experiencing a resurgence in 1983, when they began performing without makeup and costumes, marking the beginning of the band's "unmasked" era that would last until 1996. The first album of this era, 1983's platinum-certified Lick It Up , successfully introduced them to a new generation of fans, and its music videos received regular airplay on MTV . Vincent left the band in 1984, being replaced briefly by Mark St. John before Bruce Kulick joined
9315-458: The effect of "What about Kiss?" Frehley created the now-iconic logo, making the "SS" look like lightning bolts, when he went to write the new band name over "Wicked Lester" on a poster outside the club where they were going to play. (Some of Wicked Lester's artwork included one lightning bolt for the "S" in Lester. ) Later, Stanley designed the logo with a Sharpie and a ruler and accidentally drew
9450-453: The film led to a rift between the band and Aucoin. Kiss's first album of new material in two years, Dynasty (1979), continued the band's Platinum streak. The disco-flavored " I Was Made for Lovin' You " became one of the band's biggest hit singles to date, peaking at No. 11. Session drummer Anton Fig performed almost all the percussion on the album while Criss recovered from an automobile accident. The only song to feature Criss's drumming
9585-464: The first act signed to former teen pop singer and Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart 's new label, Casablanca Records . The band entered Bell Sound Studios in New York City on October 10, 1973, to begin recording its first album. On December 31, the band had its official industry premiere at the Academy of Music in New York City, opening for Blue Öyster Cult . It was at this concert that, for
9720-562: The first non-Platinum Kiss album since Dressed to Kill . Soon after the album's release, Criss's departure was officially announced. Fig, considered a member of Kiss for one day following the departure of Criss, was then fired by Stanley and Simmons, who felt he was not a good fit for the band. He would ultimately join Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band , acting as the drummer for David Letterman 's television programs until
9855-557: The first of many times, Simmons accidentally set his hair (which was coated in hairspray) ablaze while performing his fire-breathing routine. Kiss's first tour started on February 5, 1974, in Edmonton, Alberta , a cafeteria at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology , as an opening act. The band's self-titled debut album was released on February 18. Casablanca and Kiss promoted the album heavily throughout
9990-516: The first time since 2018. At the time, The Village Voice was a quarterly publication. The Voice has published columns and works by writers such as Ezra Pound , Henry Miller , Barbara Garson , Katherine Anne Porter , James Baldwin , E.E. Cummings , Nat Hentoff , staff writer and author Ted Hoagland , Colson Whitehead , Tom Stoppard , Paul Lukas , Lorraine Hansberry , Lester Bangs , Allen Ginsberg and Joshua Clover . Former editors have included Clay Felker . The newspaper has also been
10125-420: The first time since original drummer Peter Criss ' departure in 1980. After the tour, they announced that the original lineup would return to the studio to record a new album. The resulting record, Psycho Circus , was promoted with a successful world tour, but it was revealed a couple of years later that Frehley's and Criss' involvement on it was minimal. "Into The Void", which was Frehley's lone contribution to
10260-452: The group eventually decided to adopt stage personas to match their makeup and costumes, Frehley became Space Ace . Later his stage persona was also known as The Spaceman . Frehley stated that this persona was inspired by his interest in science fiction and space travel. While Kiss spent their early days rehearsing and playing in empty clubs, Frehley worked as a part-time cab driver to pay bills. In September 1973, Kiss members began to receive
10395-462: The group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock –style live performances which featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics . The band went through several lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The final lineup consisted of them, Tommy Thayer (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Singer (drums, vocals). With their makeup and costumes,
10530-413: The group. He subsequently embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour. Frehley's second tenure with Kiss lasted until 2002, when he left at the conclusion of what was originally purported to be the band's farewell tour. His most recent solo album, 10,000 Volts , was released on February 23, 2024. Guitar World magazine ranked him as
10665-408: The guitar), Criss's elevating drum riser that emitted sparks, Stanley's Townshend -style guitar smashing, and pyrotechnics throughout the show. By mid-1975, Casablanca was almost bankrupt, and Kiss was in danger of losing its record contract. Both parties desperately needed a commercial breakthrough if they were to survive. That breakthrough came in an unlikely form: a "double live" album. I saw
10800-406: The host's retirement. The band auditioned dozens of replacements for Criss in June 1980. One of the many who auditioned was Tico Torres (who would later be with Bon Jovi ). They finally settled on a little-known drummer-guitarist-pianist-keyboardist-singer from Brooklyn named Paul Charles Caravello (born July 12, 1950) who adopted the stage name Eric Carr . His first makeup design was modeled on
10935-428: The immense costs involved; however, "The Return of Kiss" saw a marked decline in attendance. The crowds on this tour were much younger than previous audiences had been, with many preadolescent children in Kiss makeup with their mothers and fathers (who were sometimes wearing the makeup themselves) in tow at most concerts. Kiss themselves did little to dissuade this new fan base, donning colorful costumes that reinforced
11070-529: The inability of listeners to understand the already-muddled storyline. Once released, fan reaction to The Elder was harsh; it failed to achieve Gold status and peaked at No. 75 on the Billboard album chart. The band made only two appearances in support of the new album, both in January 1982. One was a performance on the ABC late-night variety program Fridays , while the second was a lip-synced performance that
11205-600: The last article to be published on the website. Two weeks after the Village Voice ceased operations on September 13, co-founder John Wilcock died in California at the age of 91. In January 2021, a new original story — the first one in two-and-a-half years — was published on the website of The Village Voice . On April 17, 2021, the Spring 2021 issue of The Village Voice appeared in news boxes and on newsstands for
11340-520: The logo. Since 1980, most of the band's album covers and merchandise in Germany have used a different logo, in which the letters "SS" look like the letters "ZZ" backwards. This logo is also used in Austria , Switzerland , Lithuania , and Hungary to avoid controversy. The band's name has repeatedly been the subject of rumors pertaining to alleged hidden meanings. Among these rumors are theories that
11475-429: The management by some of its current writers, Hentoff himself, and by The Voice ' s ideological rival paper National Review , which referred to Hentoff as a "treasure". At the end of 2011, Wayne Barrett, who had written for the paper since 1973, was laid off. Fellow muckraking investigative reporter Tom Robbins then resigned in solidarity. Following a scandal concerning The Village Voice 's editorial attack on
11610-503: The marketing campaign for the albums, and announced they were shipping five million copies, guaranteeing Platinum status. Despite the large shipments, none of the albums sold particularly well and were later sold as cut-outs . Of the four, Simmons's album charted the highest in the U.S., peaking at #22, while Frehley's spawned the only resulting Top Forty hit single, a cover of " New York Groove ", written by Russ Ballard and originally performed by Hello . Frehley's album has gone on to be
11745-405: The most famous guitar players in the world, so go figure." "I play guitar in such an unorthodox way," he told Guitar World in 1996. "I've never taken a guitar lesson. One of our assistants brought it to my attention a few months ago that, sometimes, when I play chords , my thumb is on the fretted side of the neck . I have no idea why or how I do it, but I do." Paul Stanley added, "I remember
11880-545: The most of any band from the United States. Kiss has 14 Platinum albums, three of which earned multi-Platinum. On April 10, 2014, the four original members of Kiss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . Kiss was ranked by MTV as the ninth "Greatest Metal Band of All Time", placed tenth on VH1 's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" list, as well as being ranked as the third "Best Metal and Hard Rock Live Band of All Time" by Loudwire magazine and placed sixteenth by
12015-613: The most popular band in America. In Japan, Kiss performed five sold-out shows at Tokyo's Budokan Hall , equaling the record set by the Beatles in 1966 with their five concerts there . When we played in Japan in the late '70s, nothing could prepare you for the hysteria because when people are telling you how big you are, you're big compared to what? Until you're faced with mass hysteria it doesn't really sink in. For you not having been in
12150-418: The musical direction of the band. After Peter Criss was voted out of Kiss in 1980, Frehley was often outvoted 2–1 in band decisions, as replacement drummer Eric Carr was not a partner in Kiss and had no vote. Frehley's participation in the recording of 1981's Music from "The Elder" was far more limited than with previous albums. This was in large part due to his unhappiness with the band's decision to create
12285-580: The name is an acronym for "Knights in Satan's Service", "Kinder SS", or "Kids in Satan's Service". Simmons has denied all of these claims. The first Kiss performance took place on January 30, 1973, for an audience of fewer than ten people at the Popcorn Club (renamed Coventry shortly afterward) in Queens . The band was paid $ 50 for performing two sets that evening, following a cold-call Simmons had made to
12420-460: The neck humbucker pickup and produces spinning pyrotechnics and a custom Les Paul that emits light based on song tempo . Frehley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss. Paul Daniel Frehley was born and raised in The Bronx, New York City , the youngest of three children of Esther Anna (Hecht) and Carl Daniel Friebely Frehley. His father, from Pennsylvania ,
12555-432: The new band they were forming. Criss then auditioned for, and later joined their new band. The three focused on a much harder style of rock than that played by Wicked Lester. In November 1972, the band played a showcase for Epic Records A&R director Don Ellis, in an effort to secure a record deal. In early January 1973, the group added lead guitarist Ace Frehley . Frehley impressed the group with his first audition, and
12690-401: The newspaper referred to the riots as "The Great Faggot Rebellion". Two reporters, Howard Smith and Lucian Truscott IV, both used the words " faggot " and " dyke " in their articles about the riots. (These words were not commonly used by homosexuals to refer to each other at this time.) Smith and Truscott retrieved their press cards from The Voice offices, which were very close to the bar, as
12825-434: The other hand, was one of the biggest in its history, as they played to sold-out crowds and received overwhelmingly positive press coverage. For its next album, the band worked again with producer Ezrin, with whom Kiss had found success on Destroyer . Early press reports indicated that the new album would be a return to the hard rock style that had originally brought the band success. However, 1981's Music from "The Elder"
12960-411: The paper for decades. Feingold was rehired as a writer for The Village Voice in January 2016. Michael Musto was also rehired in 2016 and wrote cover stories regarding subjects like Oscar scandals and Madonna's body of work. Musto returned again to write features in 2021 under new publisher Brian Calle. In July 2013, Voice Media Group executives named Tom Finkel as editor. Peter Barbey , through
13095-445: The paper rather than executing further staff layoffs. Both had been recent appointments. By then, The Voice had employed five editors since 2005. Following Bourne's and Lustig's departure, Village Media Group management fired three of The Voice ' s longest-serving contributors: gossip and nightlife columnist Michael Musto , restaurant critic Robert Sietsema , and theater critic Michael Feingold , all of whom had been writing for
13230-431: The paper would resume publishing new articles both online and in a quarterly print edition. In January 2021, new original stories began being published again on the website. A spring print edition was released in April 2021. The Voice 's website continues to feature archival material related to current events. The Village Voice was launched by Ed Fancher , Dan Wolf, and Norman Mailer on October 26, 1955, from
13365-660: The paper's first ten years. Another regular from that period was the cartoonist Kin Platt , who did weekly theatrical caricatures. Other prominent regulars have included Peter Schjeldahl , Ellen Willis , Jill Johnston , Tom Carson, and Richard Goldstein . Staff of The Voice joined a union, the Distributive Workers of America , in 1977. For more than 40 years, Wayne Barrett was the newspaper's muckraker , covering New York real estate developers and politicians, including Donald Trump . The material continued to be
13500-483: The pattern of declining sales, and peaked at #102. After the tour for Trouble Walkin' ended prematurely with John Regan resigning after an April 1990 show in Las Vegas, Frehley did not perform live for two years, until July 1992. One notable aspect of Trouble Walkin' was the guest appearance of Peter Criss , who provided backing vocals on several tracks, along with Sebastian Bach and other members of Skid Row . It
13635-423: The physical stamina to do that…" and that Frehley and Criss' actions had resulted in their poor relationship with himself and Stanley. Shortly before Kiss' final two shows, and after the end of the tour, Frehley stated that he was not opposed to appearing at the final concerts in New York City. He also stated that he would have accepted such an offer, even if both he and Thayer were wearing his "Spaceman" makeup, for
13770-427: The possibility of Frehley and Peter Criss making appearances during the final tour, with Stanley stating that he was "open to the idea". Simmons later invited Frehley to perform encores with the band for their final tour, but Frehley turned down the invitation, also ruling out the possibility of performing at the band's final show and expressing doubt that the band would stop touring. In June 2022, Simmons reportedly told
13905-519: The privately owned investment company Black Walnut Holdings LLC, purchased The Village Voice from Voice Media Group in October 2015. Barbey is a member of one of America's wealthiest families. The family has had ownership interest in the Reading Eagle , a daily newspaper serving the city of Reading, Pennsylvania and the surrounding region, for many years. Barbey serves as president and CEO of
14040-418: The profits for both Lick It Up and Animalize although he had no involvement with either record. In 1984, Frehley started his post-Kiss solo career by assembling a band that included, among others, drummer Anton Fig (who had performed on Frehley's 1978 solo album and on two Kiss albums). Bassist John Regan (who had worked with Peter Frampton ), whom Frehley met in 1980, was also an original member of
14175-454: The publication's shutdown. Under the Barbey ownership, advertisements for escort agencies and phone sex services came to an end. On August 31, 2018, it was announced that the Village Voice would cease production and lay off half of its staff. The remaining staff would be kept on for a limited period for archival projects. An August 31 piece by freelancer Steven Wishnia was hailed as
14310-412: The record, including vocals and lead guitar duties, is believed to be the only track that all four original members performed on; Frehley also performed the lead guitar solo on the song "You Wanted The Best". After completing the "Farewell Tour" with Kiss in late 2001, Frehley left the band and resumed his solo career. After the end of the 2002 Winter Olympics , he performed one last time with Kiss. "Into
14445-490: The record. The success of Alive! not only brought Kiss the breakthrough they had been seeking but arguably saved Casablanca, which was close to bankruptcy. Following this success, Kiss partnered with producer Bob Ezrin , who had previously worked with Alice Cooper . The result was Destroyer (released March 15, 1976), Kiss's most musically ambitious studio album to date. Destroyer , with its rather intricate production (using an orchestra, choir, and numerous tape effects),
14580-505: The same parent company as The Village Voice. In 2012, Nicholas Kristof wrote an article in The New York Times detailing a young woman's account of being sold on Backpage. The Village Voice released an article entitled "What Nick Kristof Got Wrong" accusing Kristof of fabricating the story and ignoring journalistic standards. Kristof responded, noting that The Voice did not dispute the column, but rather tried to show how
14715-515: The side of long stretches of a highway when we couldn't find a town anywhere near. We ate beans and franks because we couldn't afford better food as we were on an $ 85 a week salary! Becoming a rock star was better than anything and beyond anything I ever imagined. There were moments of doubt for me that we were gonna make it. On February 19, in its first television appearance, the band performed " Nothin' to Lose ", " Firehouse " and " Black Diamond " on ABC 's In Concert (aired March 29). On April 29,
14850-450: The spring and summer of 1974. Being in Kiss in the very first year and touring around the United States, we felt like we were taking off. It was like somebody pushing you into the deep end of the pool whether you can swim or not. The early years of Kiss were far from glamorous. We rode in a station wagon hundreds of miles every day. We would take turns driving and sleeping in the back. We ate burgers at roadside taverns. We stopped and peed on
14985-597: The stage with smoke during his live guitar solo. Along with the three other Kiss members, Frehley released an eponymous solo album in 1978. His was the bestselling of the four, and the album's lone single—the Russ Ballard -written " New York Groove ", originally recorded by Hello —reached the Top 20 in the United States. His songwriting presence within the group increased in 1979. He contributed three songs for 1979's Dynasty and three for 1980's Unmasked . While this
15120-616: The three songs, Kiss was the subject of a brief comedic "interview" conducted by Paul Lynde . This included Lynde noting, when hearing the member's first names, "Oh, I love a good religious group." Two more highly successful studio albums were released in less than a year: Rock and Roll Over (November 11, 1976) and Love Gun (June 30, 1977). A second live album, Alive II , was released on October 14, 1977. All three albums were certified Platinum soon after their release. Between 1976 and 1978, Kiss earned $ 17.7 million from record royalties and music publishing. A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss
15255-510: The timeline in Kristof's original piece was inaccurate. In this rebuttal, he not only justified his original timeline, but expressed sadness "to see Village Voice Media become a major player in sex trafficking, and to see it use its journalists as attack dogs for those who threaten its corporate interests", noting another instance of The Village Voice attacking journalists reporting on Backpage's role in sex trafficking. After repeated calls for
15390-417: The tour (December 16, 1979) was the last time Criss performed with the group for almost 17 years, although he remained an official member for nearly six more months. While Criss appeared on the cover of the next album, Unmasked , Anton Fig was the actual drummer, although he was not credited. Showcasing a slick, contemporary pop sound, Unmasked (released May 20, 1980) had the dubious distinction of being
15525-555: The trouble began; they were among the first journalists to record the event, Smith being trapped inside the bar with the police, and Truscott reporting from the street. After the riot, the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) attempted to promote dances for gays and lesbians in The Voice , but were not allowed to use the words "gay" or "homosexual", which the newspaper considered derogatory. The newspaper changed its policy after
15660-605: The two S's nonparallel because he did it "by eye". The art department asked him if he wanted it to be redrafted to be perfect and he said, "It got us this far, let's leave well enough alone. Our number one rule has always been no rules." The letters happened to look similar to the insignia of the Nazi SS , a symbol that is outlawed in Germany by Section 86a of the German criminal code. However, Simmons and Stanley, both Jewish, have denied any intentional likeness to Nazi symbolism in
15795-519: The venue, convincing them to hire the new band for a three-night stand. For the first three gigs, January 30 to February 1, they wore makeup, but the iconic character designs associated with Kiss made their debuts during the March 9–10 shows at The Daisy in Amityville, New York . Our first show ever was at Coventry. Coventry was a study in contrasts. The first time we played there was nobody there. The last time we played there, you could barely get in
15930-533: Was "Dirty Livin'", on which he also sang lead. The album is also notable due to Frehley singing three lead vocals versus Simmons two, which he put down to increased confidence following the success of his solo album. Billed as "The Return of Kiss", the Dynasty Tour was expected by Kiss and their management to build on the success of previous tours. Plans were drawn up for a Kiss-themed traveling amusement park called "Kiss World", but were abandoned because of
16065-468: Was a concept album featuring medieval horns, strings, harps , and synthesizers. The album was presented as a soundtrack to a film that was never made, making it difficult to follow the storyline. To make matters worse, having received negative feedback following its record company's preview of the album, Kiss altered the record's track sequence in most countries to emphasize potential singles "The Oath" and "A World Without Heroes", which all but guaranteed
16200-578: Was a departure from the raw sound of the first three studio albums. Album art was designed by Ken Kelly , who had drawn Tarzan and Conan the Barbarian and also produced album covers for acts such as Rainbow and Manowar . While the album sold well initially and became the group's second Gold album, it quickly dropped down the charts. Only when the ballad " Beth ", the B-side of the single " Detroit Rock City ", began to gain more airplay on FM radio did
16335-594: Was a solo effort (none of the group appeared on another's album), however all were released and marketed as Kiss albums (with similar cover art and poster inserts). It was the first time that all current members of a rock band had released solo albums on the same day. For the band members, it was a chance to showcase their individual musical styles and tastes outside of Kiss, and in some cases to collaborate with contemporary artists. Stanley's and Frehley's albums were most similar to Kiss's hard rock style, while Criss's album featured an R&B style including ballads. Simmons'
16470-675: Was an autobiographic song, written partially about Frehley's April 1982 police chase in White Plains, NY while driving a DeLorean with his friend. The video for "Rock Soldiers" received moderate airplay on MTV, particularly on Headbangers Ball . Despite the positive reviews and healthy album sales of Frehley's Comet , Frehley was unable to maintain much commercial momentum. Two 1988 Frehley's Comet albums—the live EP Live+1 and second studio album Second Sighting peaked at No. 84 and No. 81, respectively. A pair of tours in support of Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden ended prematurely, with
16605-405: Was asked back for a second audition. A few weeks after Frehley joined, the classic lineup was solidified as the band to be named Kiss. They also began experimenting with their image, by wearing makeup and various outfits. Stanley came up with the name while he, Simmons, and Criss were driving around New York City. Criss mentioned that he had been in a band called Lips, so Stanley said something to
16740-600: Was asked if he had seen fan footage from the event, to which he responded "Somebody showed me about 30 seconds, yeah. It was very sad. I felt sad for Peter [Criss]…" He further elaborated about Criss' health, claiming that "When I called to invite Peter to be in the documentary, his health isn't what it should be. I don't wanna get too specific because it's part of his private life. But no, physically, he wouldn't be able to do it. Neither would Ace." With regards to Frehley, Simmons stated that "[he cared] about Ace [Frehley], but he's not in shape — he can't play that way and doesn't have
16875-406: Was authored by Frehley, Joe Layden and John Ostrosky, and published through Gallery Books, a subdivision of Simon & Schuster. The book entered The New York Times Best Seller list in the hardcover non-fiction category at #10. In a 2009 interview with Rock N Roll Experience Magazine , Frehley stated, "I'm an anomaly, I'm an un-schooled musician, I don't know how to read music, but I'm one of
17010-429: Was broadcast via satellite during Italy's Sanremo Music Festival . Absent from the satellite performance was Frehley, who had become increasingly frustrated with Kiss's new musical direction. Upset with the band's decision to record Music from "The Elder" , he did not actively participate in the album's creation (despite recording solos on it), providing lead vocals for only one track, "Dark Light". He did not appear at
17145-441: Was less than impressive visually, but the band liked what they heard from his playing. About three weeks later the band named Frehley as their lead guitarist. By January 1973 the band came up with the name Kiss . Frehley designed the band's double-lightning-bolt logo, which was polished up by Stanley. The band quickly decided to paint their faces for live performances and Frehley decided to start painting silver stars on his eyes. When
17280-540: Was not the most commercially successful time for Kiss in the United States, the band was beginning to take off in other countries (mostly in Australia, where Dynasty and Unmasked are their biggest-selling albums). In 1981, a star was named after Frehley in the International Star Registry . Even as his songwriting role within Kiss was increasing, Frehley found himself increasingly at odds with
17415-514: Was re-christened the " 4knots Music Festival", a reference to the speed of the East River's current. During the 1980s and onward, The Voice was known for its staunch support for gay rights , and it published an annual Gay Pride issue every June. However, early in its history, the newspaper had a reputation as having a homophobic slant. While reporting on the Stonewall riots of 1969,
17550-399: Was sacked in March 2006 after it was discovered that a reporter had fabricated portions of an article. Simmons' successor, Erik Wemple , resigned after two weeks. His replacement, David Blum , was fired in March 2007. Tony Ortega then held the position of editor in chief from 2007 to 2012. The sacking of Nat Hentoff , who worked for the paper from 1958 to 2008, led to further criticism of
17685-496: Was severing ties with its manager of nine years, Bill Aucoin, and cutting back on its unwieldy organizational tree. Although Frehley had already decided to leave the band, he was pictured on the covers of 1982's Killers and Creatures of the Night , although he did not participate in the recording of either album. Creatures of the Night (October 13, 1982) was Kiss's heaviest album to date, and although it fared better than Music from "The Elder" , it peaked at only No. 45 on
17820-577: Was the church organist, and my brother and sister both played piano and acoustic guitar." Frehley was always surrounded by music, and started playing guitar at age 13. He lists Jimi Hendrix , Albert Lee , Buddy Guy , Jeff Beck , B.B. King , Led Zeppelin , the Rolling Stones , and the Who as his main influences. Growing up on the corner of Marion Avenue and 201st Street, off Bedford Park Boulevard (also known as 200th Street) and Webster Avenue in
17955-467: Was the first time Criss and Frehley had performed together on an album since Kiss' 1979 album, Dynasty , although Criss had shown up briefly at a Frehley's Comet show in Los Angeles in 1987, playing drums on a final encore of " Deuce ". Frehley would return the favor by playing solos on Peter Criss' Cat #1 album on TNT Records, released in 1994. In contrast to the somewhat adversarial relationship Frehley had with Kiss (particularly Gene Simmons) throughout
18090-636: Was the most diverse of the four, featuring hard rock, ballads, Beatles -influenced pop and a cover version of " When You Wish Upon a Star " from the Disney film Pinocchio . Simmons' many collaborators included Aerosmith 's Joe Perry , Cheap Trick 's Rick Nielsen , the Doobie Brothers ' Jeff "Skunk" Baxter , Donna Summer , Janis Ian , Helen Reddy , Bob Seger , Katey Sagal , and his then-girlfriend Cher . The solo albums were released on September 18, 1978. Casablanca spent $ 2.5 million on
18225-503: Was the son of Dutch immigrants, and his mother is originally from North Carolina and has a German descent. He has a sister, Nancy, and a brother, Charles, a classical guitarist. The Frehleys were a musical family, and when Frehley received an electric guitar as a Christmas present in 1964, he immersed himself in learning the instrument. "I never went to music school; I never took a guitar lesson, but everybody in my family plays an instrument. My mother and father both played piano, his father
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