Ace Frehley (April 27, 1951, in New York, NY; born Paul Daniel Frehley) is an American guitarist, co-founder, and former lead guitarist of the glam rock band KISS. Frehley grew up in the Bronx as the youngest of three children. As a teenager, he was a member of a New York gang called The Duckies, alongside Steven Edward Duran, who later became the singer of the heavy metal band W.A.S.P. The Frehley family was a musical one, and in 1964, he received an electric guitar as a Christmas gift. He taught himself how to play. Frehley cites guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, and Jeff Beck as his most important musical influences.