Alice In Chains‘ co-lead singer William DuVall recently joined a conversation with Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown podcast and reflected on his early influences. While talking about his admiration for KISS, the vocalist revealed that his guitar playing was greatly inspired by Ace Frehley.
Frehley is known for his distinctive guitar playing, which combines hard rock, blues, and heavy metal influences. His style is often praised for its raw energy and technical proficiency. The musician has become known for his memorable guitar solos and catchy riffs. Not surprisingly, he has influenced countless guitarists, including DuVall, with his distinctive style.
In his interview, the singer stated that his cousin, who was older than him, had introduced him to many rock bands, including KISS. So, DuVall was a big fan of the band and Ace Frehley in his young. Then, he also admitted that he attacked the guitar like that due to Frehley’s huge influence on him.
Later, the host asked the rocker whether he had a chance to meet Frehley. DuVall recalled that he met the guitarist once at a Dimebash event but didn’t get to have a long conversation with him. When Frehley came there, he was about to get on the stage. So he didn’t have time to talk to him. The singer also explained that he and Frehley had some common influences like Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.
William DuVall speaking on KISS:
“He [his cousin] couldn’t get KISS, but I was a die-hard, and Ace Frehley is… He’s still really important. A lot of the way I attack the guitar is due to him. It really is.”
When asked if he had a chance to meet Frehley, DuVall replied:
“I met him once, like in passing at like… I think it was a Dimebash. They do these things in LA, where they have the Dimebag Darrell Dimebash, and a lot of people come down. Because it was in LA and all that, you get a lot of people that come down because they live nearby. So, he was there.
I’ve never had like a real conversation with him, though. It was just more like an in-passing thing. I think I had to get on stage. That’s what it was, and he showed up right as I was getting ready to go on. I was like, ‘Oh, man.’ I would love to have that conversation at some point.”
On how Frehley influenced his guitar playing, the singer said:
“It is a pick attack thing. It’s how you bend notes. I know he was also influenced by Jimmy Page and Hendrix. I’m sure we have a lot of common influences.”
Although he didn’t get the opportunity to have a long chat with Frehley at the time, DuVall would love to do that at some point. Thus, the Alice In Chains vocalist revealed that his way of attacking the guitar and the way he bent notes were massively inspired by Frehley.
