Original Kiss Guitarist Ace Frehley Comments on Passing of Longtime Crew Member

Kiss fans are familiar with Eddie Balandas as the voice of 'Alive II.' The one-time bodyguard is the one heard proclaiming "You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world, Kiss!" on the project and was a dear friend to the band, especially guitarist Ace Frehley. Balandas died on Monday, leaving a hole in Frehley's heart.

"I was very saddened to hear of the passing of my old bodyguard and dear friend, Eddie Balandas," Frehley said in a statement. "We had recently spent some time together in Indianapolis, Ind. this past August and I enjoyed reminiscing about our funny experiences together on tour with Kiss in the '70s ... He had a heart of gold and was one of a kind!"

Balandas died after being diagnosed with congestive heart failure several years ago. In his later years, he enjoyed fishing and appearing -- often in a wheel chair -- at Kiss expos. He relished any opportunity to talk about the band and tell stories from the road.

In fact, in the video below Balandas explains how his famous line was recorded. The recording team went to a bathroom to get the line, but due to the echo it sounded as if he'd said "Piss" instead of "Kiss." So Gene Simmons overdubbed the final word to make the line more clear.

Funeral services for Balandas will be held on Oct. 17 in Chicago, Ill.

Watch Eddie Balandas Talk About His Famous Line