Four musicians who performed with late KISS guitarist Ace Frehley in his solo band paid an emotional tribute to the rock icon at a concert on April 3 at Capitol Theatre in Rome, New York. Ryan Spencer Cook (bass/vocals), Jeremy Asbrock (guitar/vocals), Matt Starr (drums), and Derrek Hawkins (guitar) performed Frehley's iconic 1978 solo album in full, alongside a selection of KISS classics.
Frehley passed away last October at the age of 74. The founding KISS guitarist died of blunt-trauma injuries to his head due to a fall, confirmed as an accident by the Morris County Medical Examiner. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York, following a private memorial on October 21.
Asbrock, who played with Frehley for seven years and holds the record as the longest consecutive guitarist in Frehley's solo band, recalled how the lineup came together: "Gene [Simmons] told Ace, 'If it's okay with them, it's okay with me.' Later on, Gene pulled me into his dressing room… then we went to Japan with Ace and he asked us to be the band."
Ace Frehley co-founded KISS with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss in New York City in 1973. He appeared on the group's first nine albums and returned for the 1998 reunion record Psycho Circus. His self-titled 1978 solo album remains one of the most beloved records in the KISS universe, spawning the enduring hit "New York Groove".
The concert stands as a heartfelt tribute to one of rock music's most iconic guitarists.