The rock and roll lifestyle can often lead to unusual indulgences and wild behavior from famous musicians. Keith Moon from The Who once caused destruction in a hotel by exploding a toilet with dynamite and driving a car into the hotel pool. Steven Tyler admitted to spending a large amount of money, estimated at $2 million, on drugs.
KISS is a well-known band for their distinctive black and white makeup, platform shoes, and tight pants, which often take attention away from their musical abilities. The band members, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss, have had 24 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and have continued to tour successfully worldwide. Although they have experienced success over the years, they have not forgotten their wild behavior from the past.
Ace Frehley, a founding member of Kiss, left the band in 2002 and spoke about his experience with the band. He revealed that the hectic and surreal lifestyle of a touring musician often leads to substance abuse and that his drug and alcohol use made him so incapacitated that he has unclear memories of his time in the band. His former bandmates, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, have filled in some of the gaps in Frehley’s memory, such as the time when Frehley drank an entire bottle of perfume thinking it contained alcohol.
Ace Frehley became sober in 2006 and has shared his experiences of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction as a touring musician and how the fast-paced life can lead to addiction and disorientation. He also mentioned that staying in hotels and venues that all look the same only contributes to the feeling of being lost.
“Most of the time I really had no idea where I was. We went from city to city so fast. You know, pretty much you spend most of the time in a hotel or the venue. They all pretty much look the same,” he told Stuff.
On the other hand, fellow founding member Gene Simmons is also sober and claims to have never been drunk or high, providing a positive example for others in show business.