A New York man recalled his frightening high-speed ride as he helped former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley find his way to a concert venue.

The incident took place on Sept. 29, when Tim Lord was hailed by the driver of a passing SUV, asking if they were in Cortland or Homer. “And the guy says, ‘Oh crap, we were supposed to be in Homer an hour and a half ago,’” Lord told the Cortland Standard.

The car U-turned and pulled up beside him, and the window rolled down to reveal Frehley inside. Lord, a self-employed genealogist who followed Kiss as a teenager in the ‘70s, said he recognized Frehley immediately – but admitted he was too “starstruck” to offer meaningful directions.

Instead, Frehley told him to get in, and the SUV raced off, heading for the Center for the Arts of Homer. Lord said the driver “was a complete idiot. … He was panicking trying to get to the venue. This guy was literally flying 85 miles an hour to get to the concert.” He added that they struck a traffic island and nearly hit a road sign on the journey.

When they arrived at the concert hall, Frehley invited Lord to join him onstage, but he refused, saying he had to get home to put his granddaughter to bed, and then called his stepson to pick him up. “My wife said, ‘You idiot, you should have texted me and done the show. I would have understood,’” Lord recalled. “I could have listened to the concert. I could have gone backstage and everything. But I turned him down. … I didn’t get an autograph or anything, I was so nervous. My brain wasn’t thinking. … It was just like an out-of-body experience.”

However, he managed to take a few pictures of the guitarist. “I think the guy’s probably the nicest guy I ever met," he noted. "He’s just the most mellow guy.”

A spokesman at the Center for the Arts confirmed Frehley’s show started about two hours late. "When he did arrive, you certainly did feel his energy," he said. "He put on a great show. I think we owe a debt of gratitude to this gentleman for ensuring that Ace was able to get to the venue.”

 

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