Ace Frehley freely speaks his mind, especially when he’s telling other people when to shut up.
In a recent interview with Billboard Magazine, Frehley had a ball talking about his new album, Space Invader. But when asked about some of Gene Simmons’ and Paul Stanley’s recent business ventures, he chimed right in.
“I don’t want to be part owner of an [arena] football team. [Laughs] That’s Paul and Gene’s newest venture. The first thing that came to my mind [when I heard that] was, ‘Hey, what about the music? Why don’t you stay focused on the music?’ It just seems like they’re spreading themselves a little thin. Maybe you should focus on your records a little more and they’d be better. And you can quote that.”
Ace has long complained about how Gene Simmons was a focused business person, including wearing three-piece suits to band meetings. And Frehley says he feels free to say what he wants about Gene and has no fear for their relationship.
“Oh, I’m not worried about what I say about Gene. Me and Gene have been mudslinging back and forth to each other for years. The press makes it out like we hate each other, [but] I could go over to any of their houses and hang out. I try not to get involved with all the rhetoric, but sometimes I can’t hold back.”
Frehley then brought up some of the statements recently made by Simmons, that he has caught flack for in the press and from the public.
“Gene has the balls to go on the Internet the other day and say, ‘Look, if you’re a depressed person, kill yourself.’ I don’t think Robin Williams’ family is too happy about his statements, you know? He used to say to me in the ’70s every time I did something stupid, like I crashed a car or I got loaded when I shouldn’t, he’d say, ‘Ace, you’re shootin’ yourself in the foot.’ Well, you can print, ‘Hey Gene, you’re shootin’ yourself in the foot a lot lately.’ ”
Gene Simmons has apologized for his ill-advised comments about depression-sufferers.