Gene Simmons recently shared an old interview video featuring late KISS guitarist Ace Frehley discussing how Gene saved his life on multiple occasions, as posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The video shows Frehley recounting three separate incidents where Simmons came to his rescue. Gene Simmons wrote in the caption of his post: “Ace lives on.”
“He saved my life. He used to be a lifeguard. I was drowning and he pulled me out of the pool,” Frehley said in the video. “And then when I got my first face lift, he didn’t want me to be in a wheelchair. He says, ‘I don’t want to see you in a wheelchair.’ So he comes up to my room when I was going to the place where you recuperate, and he picked me up in his hands and carried me down to the limousine.”
Frehley continued to describe a third life-threatening situation where Simmons intervened.
“There was one other time I was taking a bath in a hotel and I took a bunch of Valium and I fell asleep. And the water was like up to my lip and somehow Gene sensed that something wasn’t right,” he explained. “I had the door bolted, so he got the manager. He couldn’t get in the room anyway and we were rooming together at the time. And they broke the door down and, you know, Thank God. [He saved my life] twice.”
The video highlights the close bond between the two KISS bandmates and Simmons’ protective nature toward his fellow musician.
This touching revelation comes amid a complex history between the two rock legends. They have maintained their friendship despite various professional disagreements over the years.
American Songwriter reported that Frehley has described his relationship with Simmons in brotherly terms, explaining their dynamic with remarkable candor. The original KISS guitarist has long had a somewhat contentious relationship with his ex-bandmates. However, he maintains deep personal connections.
“We’re just like brothers. Brothers have arguments, brothers have misunderstandings, they curse each other out and then they make up,” Frehley said about his relationship with Simmons. This sentiment reflects the enduring bond between the two musicians despite their professional ups and downs throughout KISS’s legendary career.
Louder Sound noted that Frehley still considers himself friends with ex-bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, despite recent public disagreements. The former KISS guitarist has offered an olive branch to his old bandmates. This demonstrates the resilience of their decades-long relationships.
In a more recent development, a 2025 interview revealed Frehley’s continued appreciation for Simmons. He expressed his love for Gene and noted how Simmons praised him publicly and even introduced him to a band he later used for tours. This gesture further illustrates the supportive nature of their friendship beyond their KISS years.
