Ace Frehley is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as the original lead guitarist and a founding member of the hard rock band Kiss. Emerging from the New York rock scene in the early 1970s, his work is rooted in hard rock and glam rock, with elements of blues-based soloing and straightforward rock-and-roll songwriting. Frehley’s playing is noted for its melodic, riff-driven approach, concise but memorable solos, and use of sustain and vibrato; his onstage persona and visual presentation as the "Spaceman" helped shape Kiss’s theatrical image. Following his departure from the band in the early 1980s, he pursued a solo career, releasing albums that continued in the classic hard rock tradition while occasionally incorporating contemporary rock production. His career spans several decades with intermittent reunions and collaborations within the rock music sphere.