How ACE FREHLEY Ended Up Being JIMI HENDRIX's Roadie For One Day (Video)

Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was the first guest on KFM-BFM Radio‘s new music series called “Origins”. You can now watch video footage of his appearance below.

Asked if it was true that he served as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix at the guitar legend’s last concert in New York prior to his death, Ace said: “Yeah. There was a peace concert at Randall’s Island, which is right next to Manhattan island in New York City. I went to the show. I snuck backstage. I just kind of walked in. I was watching people walk in and out. I was watching the bands walk out to see other bands, and then I watched them walk back, and they’d just walked up with their head high and looked like they were somebody. So I just kind of walked in with this presence like I was in one of the bands, and the security guy just figured I was in one of the bands. So I’m back there about fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, and people were starting to say, ‘Who is this fucking guy?’ [Laughs] Finally, one of the road guys came up and said, ‘Are you in one of the bands?’ I said, ‘No. I snuck back here.’ He said, ‘Well, can you do anything?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ Next thing you know, I’m seting up Mitch Mitchell‘s [Hendrix‘s drummer] drums. It was crazy. And then Mitch Mitchell walks over. But he he had changed his look. Because originally he started off with the afro, like Noel [Redding, Hendrix bassist] and Jimi, and then he changed his image; he got the beard and he got the headband. So when he initially walked over to check out the drums prior to the show, I didn’t realize it was Mitch. And here I am walking around in high school with Jimi Hendrix‘s first album under my arm every day, and next thing you know, I’m talking to Mitch Mitchell and I didn’t realize it was Mitch Mitchell. The roadie goes to Mitch, ‘Hey, Mitch, what snare are you gonna use tonight?’ And I [thought], ‘Jesus Christ! It’s Mitch Mitchell.’ And that whole thing was a surreal day.”

Ace Frehley‘s covers album, “Origins, Vol. 1”, debuted at No. 23 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 16,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 21. The CD features KISS frontman Paul Stanley joining Ace on FREE‘s hit “Fire And Water”. This collaboration marks the first time that Ace and Paul appear on the same studio recording since KISS‘s 1998 reunion album “Psycho Circus”.