After unsuccessful stints in bands like Molimo and The Muff Divers, Ace was reduced to being a cab driver before becoming the last member to join KISS in 1972. He answered an ad placed by Paul for a guitarist "with flash and balls". Ace showed up for his audition wearing one red sneaker and one orange sneaker. The KISS logo was designed by Ace. Ace wrote early KISS classics such as "Cold Gin", "Parasite", and "Rock Bottom". His debut vocal was "Shock Me" on the Love Gun album. Ace was so scared before the taping that he had to lay on his back to record the vocal. When the member of KISS decided to record "solo albums" in 1978, Ace was the only one to have a Top 20 single with "New York Groove". In 1981, Ace and the rest of the band were promising the fans after the "Aussie '80-'81" tour promoting Unmasked, the next album would be their heaviest to date. When Bob Ezrin was hired to recapture the glory of Destroyer but instead convinced Gene and Paul to record a concept album, Ace was infuriated. He did not like the direction KISS was going and refused to work on the album contibuting only one track, "Dark Light". In 1982, when sessions were beginning for Creatures of the Night, Ace made the decision to leave KISS. Session guitarists were hired to fill in for Ace. Gene and Paul, realizing that Ace was not going to return, hired Vinnie Vincent. In 1986, Ace signed a deal with Megaforce Records and released three albums; Frehley's Comet, Second Sighting, and Trouble Walkin'. After the successful "MTV Unplugged" taping, Ace rejoined KISS on a permanent basis.
