Ace Frehley schedules Beaumont show on summer tour

Ace Frehley, the legendary former guitarist for KISS, returns to Beaumont for the first time in nearly 20 years for a concert on Friday, Aug. 19, at the Jefferson Theatre in downtown Beaumont. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, July 8, at all Ticketmaster outlets.

Tommy Mann Jr. - For The Record

A guitarist who has inspired countless musicians for decades as part of one of the most well known bands in rock history is headed to Southeast Texas.

Ace Frehley, best known as the former lead guitarist in the band KISS, will perform in concert at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 19, at the historic Jefferson Theatre in downtown Beaumont for all ages. Tickets are $35-$60 each and go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, July 8, at all Ticketmaster outlets, including the Beaumont Civic Center box office, HEB Plus on Dowlen Road in Beaumont, online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone at 800-745-3000.

Frehley is touring in support of his new album, "Origins," which features songs by artists who influenced a musician who has influenced musicians for more than 40 years. The new album was released in this past April and features tracks by artist such as Cream, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, The Jimi Hendrix Exprience and even a few KISS classics for good measure.

Special guests abound on this record, including a special appearance by former KISS bandmate Paul Stanley, who joins Frehley on the Free song "Fire and Water." Other guests on the album include contemporaries such as Slash, John 5, Lita Ford and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.

Frehley is best known as a co-founding member of the American rock band KISS, which has inspired legions of musicians and sold millions of albums around the world during its five decade-long career. Under the persona of The Spaceman, Frehley helped write a number of well-known KISS classics such as "Cold Gin" and "Shock Me."

Striking out on his own as a solo artist following his departure from KISS in 1983, he organized his solo band and released " Frehley's Comet" in 1987, which featured the single, "Rock Soldiers."

Frehley reunited with KISS in 1996 and spent several years with the band until tensions once again surfaced and led to the guitarist once again departing the group.

Opening the show will be American rock act, SIMO, which formed in 2010 and features J.D. Simo, Adam Abrashoff and Elad Shapiro.

For more information on this concert, visit http://www.acefrehley.com or http://www.discoverbeaumont.com for more Beaumont events.