As Ace Frehley himself confirmed in one of his last Guitar World interviews, he was busy toiling away at the studio on what would have been his final studio album, Origins Vol. 3. – a covers album that, like its predecessors, would have featured a host of guitar stars.
Now, speaking to Guitar World, John 5 – who previously lent his chops to Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the series – has confirmed he was set to appear on the album.
“No one has asked me that yet, but yes, he did,” 5 replies, when asked by Guitar World whether he was due to appear on Volume 3.
“It kills me, man. It kills me because he did ask me, and I am so sad. So, yeah… I was gonna do it with him. I don’t know what song I was gonna do, but he wanted me to play on the record because I did his others. I cherish those times.”
5 wasn't just a musical collaborator to Frehley, he was one of his close friends, which made the Kiss icon’s passing – recently confirmed to have been caused by blunt force trauma after a fall – particularly hard to handle.
“It’s still hard to talk about,” says 5, of Frehley's passing in October. “He was happy and healthy. He was excited about the Kennedy Center [Honors]. He was excited about doing shows. He was in such a good place, and he literally had an accident.”
5 reveals that he talked to Frehley right before the first accident and also made it a point to check in on him in the days after.
“After the first one, that’s when he went to the doctor, and got checked out, and they said, ‘Yeah, you’re good. You’re healthy.
“And Ace always had trouble walking… he even had a record called Trouble Walkin’. So, he always had balance issues, and you can even see old videos of him onstage in the ‘70s, you know – it’s just how he was. It’s just so sad.”
John 5's latest interview with Guitar World will be published in the coming weeks.
The last time we spoke to the virtuoso, prior to Frehley’s death, John 5 explained what made him the perfect fit for Mötley Crüe and divulged what’s next for his signature Fender Telecaster.
