RIP ACE FREHLEY/Marijuana happy hour live

Ace Frehley: A Rock Legend's Battle with Substance AbuseAce Frehley, the iconic "Space Ace" and original lead guitarist of Kiss, was as famous for his pyrotechnic guitar solos and silver-starred makeup as he was for his notorious struggles with addiction. Born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, he joined Kiss in 1973 after responding to a Village Voice ad seeking a "lead guitarist with flash and ability." His tenure with the band (1973–1982, and briefly 1996–2002) helped sell millions of records, but his substance issues—starting with alcohol at age 13 and escalating to heavy drug use in the 1970s—often overshadowed his talent.Marijuana and Ace's Early DaysFrehley's relationship with marijuana was intertwined with his rock 'n' roll lifestyle from the start. In his 2011 autobiography No Regrets, he detailed experimenting with pot as a teenager, which fueled his creativity but also marked the beginning of deeper dependencies. During Kiss's rise in the mid-1970s, marijuana was a staple on tour buses and in studios—part of the era's hedonistic scene. However, it was cocaine that became his real demon, leading to erratic behavior, like showing up intoxicated to film Kiss's 1978 TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. Frehley later admitted in interviews that he was "loaded on booze and cocaine" during production, muddling his memories of the shoot.While marijuana wasn't the headline-grabber (cocaine and alcohol took that role), it symbolized the casual gateway to harder habits. Frehley has reflected that early weed use, combined with influences like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, sparked his guitar passion but also normalized excess.Happy Hour: Alcohol's Grip on the SpacemanIf marijuana was the spark, alcohol was the inferno. Frehley's "happy hour" rituals—binge drinking that stretched into all-night benders—defined his Kiss years. By the late 1970s, his alcoholism contributed to on-stage mishaps, including a 1976 hotel fire he accidentally started while drunk and smoking (earning him the nickname "The Firebreather"). Bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley often cited his drinking as a reason for his 1982 exit, with Stanley once calling it a "constant battle."Frehley hit rock bottom multiple times: a 2004 overdose on GHB (after years of sobriety attempts) and relapses that derailed reunions. In a 2023 reflection, he described filming Phantom of the Park as a haze of "booze and blow," where he'd black out mid-scene. Happy hour wasn't just a drink—it was a destructive escape that nearly ended his career and life.The Road to SobrietyFrehley's turning point came in 2006 via a tearful call from his daughter, Monique, begging him to get clean. He entered rehab on September 15, 2006, and marked 18 years sober by 2024. In interviews, he's candid about the tools that worked:Cutting ties: He distanced himself from enablers, banning alcohol and drugs from his tours and dressing rooms.
AA support: Daily check-ins with his sponsor "saved my life numerous times," he said in a 2020 Loudwire chat.
Family anchor: His sober daughter and girlfriend reinforced his commitment.

By 2014, a clean Frehley told Guitar World he was "happier than... in a long time," focusing on solo albums like Space Invader (2014) and 10,000 Volts (2024). He even headlined benefits for substance abuse recovery, like a 2009 Right Turn charity show in Boston. Frehley became a "power of example," inspiring fans at meet-and-greets: "Ace, I've been sober two years."Tragically, Ace Frehley passed away on October 16, 2025, at age 74 in Morristown, New Jersey—just one day before the current date.
nytimes.com

His death, reported widely, closes a chapter on a life of highs (literal and figurative), redemption, and unyielding showmanship. Tributes poured in from Kiss fans and rock peers, celebrating the Spaceman who outran his demons for nearly two decades.Frehley's story is a raw reminder: rock stardom's glitter often hides wreckage, but recovery is possible. As he put it in 2019, "Every year I'm away from drugs and alcohol, some of the memory cells are coming back."
bravewords.com

RIP, Space Ace.