Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Ace Frehley at Days of the Dead Chicago 2015

As a kid, I was a big Kiss fan.  "Rock and Roll Over" was the first album I ever bought.  Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were the frontmen, but Ace Frehley was my favorite. A couple years ago, at Days of the Dead, I had the pleasure of meeting Frehley for the first time.  That was one of the few times I have really been in awe meeting a celebrity.
I have met some huge name sports stars, but athletes were always somewhat available.  It was not out of the question to meet an athlete at a game.  It might have been a longshot, but it was possible.  Meeting a member of a huge band like Kiss wasn't even a thought when I was a kid. Meeting Frehley that first time was mind-blowing.  It wasn't just me either.  I saw several of the other celebrity guests express similar thoughts to Frehley or their friends after meeting him. At the recent Days, I had the chance to meet him again.  It turned out even better.  He was sitting in the photo op room and somehow, we wandered in with our press credentials and actually spent a little time with him as the professionals set up the camera and other necessities. Just like the first time, Frehley was quiet, but completely cool.  We talked a bit about doing these conventions.  He joked it was easier than doing concerts. As far as photo ops go, Frehley's was actually one of the looser, more fun ones.  Time is always short, but Frehley gave that little extra something for each fan, which totally makes the experience. I look at the picture below and I am shot back 40 years to playing my first Kiss album over and over.  I never would have imagined this.  Days of the Dead is where these longshots become reality!   
Ace Frehley and me in Schaumburg, IL-November 2015.

1 comment:

Jean Parker said...

Very cool!
Nice to meet the rock groups we listened to years ago!