We made several albums together and I’ll always treasure those years. He was incredibly generous both in music and in life. When he was looking for someone new to mix his record he called around the industry asking for recommendations. I ended up doing a mix off against some very big names and to my surprise Ace chose me. That was the beginning of an amazing friendship and collaboration. He turned up at Spitfire in Laurel Canyon with his full computer rig ready to work. He wasn’t slick or showy but he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He edited his own tracks in Pro Tools, stayed focused and worked with real intent.
Through Ace I met some wonderful people including our great friend Matt Starr (who had recommended me purely based on my work) and that connection became part of a lasting creative circle and friendship. Ace wasn’t just a rock legend he was a kind and generous soul who became a friend to my family visiting us and always taking the time to make my kids laugh. When I first moved to the US every musician I met had been influenced by KISS and Ace’s playing and spirit were a huge reason so many of us picked up a guitar and wanted to be in a band in the first place.
I’m deeply shocked by his passing. Without this fall I truly believe he would have lived into his nineties as his mother was still alive when we were working together. It’s a huge loss and I’ll always be grateful for the time we spent together. Here’s a moment with Ace and Slash soloing live over our cover of Emerald by Thin Lizzy which I also had the pleasure of playing guitar on.
