Under the glowing lights of the Hollywood Bowl, Adam Lambert paid a powerful, emotional tribute to KISS guitarist and rock legend Ace Frehley, who passed away earlier this month at age 74. During his sold-out concert on Saturday night, the Queen + Adam Lambert frontman paused mid-show to celebrate the man he called “a true original — the sound of rebellion, the face of rock, and the spark behind a thousand guitars.”
As the crowd roared, a massive image of Frehley in his iconic silver “Spaceman” makeup illuminated the stage. Lambert took a deep breath, his voice filled with both reverence and fire.
“When I was a kid discovering rock,” he began, “Ace Frehley was the first one who made me think, ‘You can be weird, loud, and brilliant all at once.’ His guitar wasn’t just sound — it was freedom.”
The audience erupted in applause as Lambert, dressed in a shimmering silver jacket in homage to Frehley, began a stripped-down rendition of “Shock Me,” one of Frehley’s most beloved tracks from KISS’s 1977 Love Gun album. With only a guitar and his voice at first, Lambert filled the Bowl with raw emotion. As the song built, his full band joined in — lights flashing, pyrotechnics exploding, and energy surging — in a spectacle worthy of KISS’s legacy.
Midway through the number, Lambert lifted his gaze to the sky and whispered, “This one’s for you, Space Ace.” Thousands of fans raised their lighters and phone lights in unison, creating a sea of stars beneath the Los Angeles night. Many were in tears, others singing along — all united in a moment of shared nostalgia and gratitude.
After the thunderous applause, Lambert segued into Queen’s “I Want It All,” seamlessly blending two eras of rock history. “Artists like Ace opened the door for performers like me,” he told the cheering audience. “He showed us that being yourself — no matter how strange or loud or different — is your greatest power.”
The tribute quickly went viral, with clips flooding social media. One fan posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Adam Lambert channeled Ace Frehley like no one else could. It felt like the 1970s all over again — flamboyant, fearless, and loud as hell.”
Earlier in the month, tributes poured in from across the music world. KISS members Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss honored their late bandmate, while guitar icons Slash, Joe Perry, and Tom Morello praised Frehley’s unmistakable tone and influence.
After the show, Lambert shared a heartfelt Instagram post:
“I’ve been lucky to tour the world with Queen, but before Freddie or Brian, there was Ace — the guy who made a generation believe rock could come from the stars. Rest easy, legend.”
According to Billboard, Lambert’s performance will be included in the upcoming Tribute to the Spaceman concert film, organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, with proceeds benefiting music education in New York City — the place where Ace Frehley’s cosmic journey first began.