In a move equal parts classy and emotional, KISS are reportedly leaving an empty chair for founding guitarist Ace Frehley at next month’s Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C. 🇺🇸
The legendary rockers — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer — will be celebrated for over five decades of face paint, pyro, and pure rock ‘n’ roll chaos. But this time, they’re acknowledging the man who helped build the empire from the start. 💥
According to insiders, the decision to reserve a seat for Ace is a symbolic nod to his place in KISStory. While Frehley and the band haven’t performed together in years (and have traded more than a few barbs along the way), it seems even Gene and Paul recognise that the Spaceman deserves his moment in the spotlight — whether he’s there in person or not. 🚀
It’s unclear if Ace will attend, but fans are already buzzing at the gesture — especially after the band’s emotional “final” show at Madison Square Garden last year. Many are calling it a full-circle moment, with the group ending their live era while still paying respect to the original line-up that changed rock forever. 🤘
The Kennedy Center ceremony, taking place next month, will also honour a range of icons across music and arts — but let’s be real, few have ever rocked it quite like KISS.
Whether or not Ace takes that chair, the message is clear: you can hang up the boots, but you can’t erase the Spaceman. 🌌
📰 Stay tuned to The Riff Report for full coverage of KISS’s Kennedy Center appearance — because if there’s pyro indoors, you know we’ll be there with the fire extinguisher. 🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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