The Story Of Ace Frehley Drinking Perfume
via Ace Frehley / YouTube
When it comes to rock stars, the legends often go far beyond the stage. The genre is built on larger-than-life personas, wild excess, and stories that sound almost too bizarre to be true. From Keith Moon detonating toilets to Steven Tyler spending millions on drugs, these antics have become as iconic as the music itself.
Among these eccentric tales, few are as peculiar as the story of Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley drinking perfume. Known for his spacey persona and equally spaced-out behavior, Frehley’s name has long been associated with rock and roll excess. But even by rock star standards, his infamous perfume episode is one for the books.
This odd moment speaks not only to Frehley’s battle with addiction but also to the intense, whirlwind lifestyle of musicians constantly on tour. To understand why a man would drink an entire bottle of perfume, we have to look at the chaos behind the makeup, pyrotechnics, and platform boots.
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A Band of Fire and Flaws
Kiss built a reputation on spectacle. Their larger-than-life costumes, makeup, and stage shows helped them stand out in a sea of ’70s hard rock bands. But behind the explosive performances was a band of real people, each handling fame in their own way—some more recklessly than others.
Ace Frehley, the band’s original lead guitarist, embodied the rock and roll lifestyle to the fullest. While Kiss enjoyed chart success and global tours, Frehley was quietly unraveling behind the scenes. Drugs and alcohol became his constant companions, blurring the line between performance and reality.
The touring schedule didn’t help. Constant travel and the demand to entertain millions created a perfect storm for substance abuse. While fans saw a spaceman with killer solos, Frehley was often too intoxicated to remember much of what actually happened on tour.
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The Infamous Perfume Incident
By the band’s own admission, Ace Frehley’s substance use reached surreal levels. In one unforgettable incident, Frehley’s craving for alcohol struck at the worst possible time: stuck in a limo with no booze in sight. Desperate, someone mentioned that perfume contains alcohol—and that’s all the encouragement he needed.
According to bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Frehley didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the bottle and drank it—fragrance and all. It wasn’t a joke or a dare; it was a genuine attempt to get drunk when nothing else was available. The story, retold in Rolling Stone, became one of the more shocking examples of rock excess.
It’s one of those moments that lives on not just for how strange it was, but for what it reveals about addiction. Frehley wasn’t trying to be funny—he was trying to cope. The fact that it happened in a confined space with his bandmates only emphasizes how far gone things had become.
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Sobriety and Reflection
In 2006, Ace Frehley turned a major corner and embraced sobriety. After decades of chaos, the guitarist began speaking more openly about his struggles, offering insight into how fame and addiction often go hand in hand. Touring, he explained, made life feel like a blur—cities blending together, routines vanishing.
His candor helped reframe public perception. Behind the antics was a man who simply got lost in the lifestyle and eventually decided to fight his way back. He acknowledged that most people think rock stars have it all, but the isolation and mental toll can be overwhelming. Sobriety gave him clarity, and he’s been clean since.
Interestingly, Gene Simmons has long been the opposite. He claims he’s never been drunk or high, a rarity in the music world. Their contrast—Simmons’ restraint versus Frehley’s redemption—adds a new dimension to the Kiss story. It’s a reminder that every band is made up of vastly different paths, some wild, some wise, but all human.
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