KISS Bassist GENE SIMMONS On ACE FREHLEY And PETER CRISS - "They Should Have Been Here With Us 50 Years Later And Enjoying The Fruits Of Their Labor, But Sadly They're Not, And It's Their Own Doing"

Speaking with Backstage Pass, KISS icon Gene Simmons looked back on the band's career and confessed to wishing he'd taken a "harder" stance with Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) with regards to their substance abuse issues. 

Simmons: "Ace and Peter have as much credit for the beginning of the band as Paul (Stanley / vocals, guitar) and I do. There's no question it was that chemistry. And they both had unique voices, unique personalities and all that. They should have been here with us 50 or 55 years later and enjoying the fruits of their labor. But sadly, they're not, and it's their own doing. They were in and out of the band three different times. They were let go three different times because of the same old thing. It's not even unique. Go to almost every band, you'll find people ingesting stuff more than the bum on the street corner, except they're richer and they can afford to ingest more. It's sad."