Bruce Kulick recently commented on KISS’s decision to replace Ace Frehley with Tommy Thayer. His statement was shared on Rock Experience with Mike Brunn.
During a Q&A at KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas, Kulick was asked whether he would have accepted an invitation to replace Frehley as the ‘Spaceman.’ He explained his reasoning for supporting Tommy Thayer’s selection over his own potential involvement.
“By the time Ace wasn’t happy and they were seeing that things were looking iffy, I remember hearing [about it] and thinking, ‘Would I become the Spaceman? This is weird. What if they ask me? What would I do?’ In the end, it was much easier, and the right path, to have someone like Tommy,” Kulick said.
Kulick elaborated on the stylistic differences that made Thayer the better fit for the role. Taking on the Spaceman character would have required him to closely replicate Ace’s signature playing style. This conflicted with his own musical approach.
“I would have had to do every riff much closer to Ace, which wasn’t really my style, where[as] Tommy knew that and embraced it. In the end, I really think that it wasn’t meant to be for me to remain in KISS, which was something I did miss greatly, but it would have kind of pooped on my era if I suddenly became the Spaceman. It just would have been weird… It was a weird transition time, but when I look back at it, it was all meant to be for a reason, how it all panned out,” he concluded.
Kulick’s reflections on this decision reveal the complex history of KISS’s lead guitarist position following Ace Frehley’s departures from the band. Understanding the timeline of these replacements provides important context for his comments about Tommy Thayer’s selection.
Bruce Kulick served as KISS’s lead guitarist from 1984 to 1996. He effectively replaced Ace Frehley after he left the band in 1982, according to Wikipedia. Kulick joined for the Animalize tour and became a consistent member through several studio albums and tours, establishing himself as a significant figure in the band’s history during that era.
When Ace Frehley returned to KISS in 1996, Kulick departed the band. However, Ultimate Classic Rock notes that Ace Frehley himself regarded Kulick as the best KISS guitarist to follow him, aside from Ace himself. This endorsement underscores Kulick’s respected position within the band’s legacy.
Tommy Thayer’s path to becoming the official replacement guitarist differed significantly from Kulick’s. Per Guitar Player, Thayer officially replaced Ace Frehley after Frehley’s final departure from the band in 2002. Thayer had been involved with KISS before officially joining, including helping with tour managing and songwriting. This made him part of the band’s inner circle when the decision was made to move forward without Frehley.
Kulick’s gracious acceptance of Thayer’s selection reflects his understanding that the band needed someone willing to embrace Ace’s iconic style. Rather than imposing their own musical identity, Thayer was the right choice. His perspective demonstrates a mature recognition that sometimes the right decision for a band’s continuity is not always the one that benefits the individual musician, even when that musician has already proven their worth to the organization.
