Ace Frehley, original lead guitarist of the hard-rock juggernaut KISS, died Thursday at age 74. The cause was a fall at his home, according to a statement from his family. Complications from the accident led to his hospitalization. He passed away in Morristown, surrounded by loved ones.
His family’s announcement carried a note of both sorrow and reverence:
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,”
“In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers, and intentions as he left this earth.”
“The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions and beyond comprehension.”
Frehley’s rise with KISS began in 1973. Alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss, he helped launch a vision of rock infused with spectacle. His persona—nicknamed “the Spaceman” or “Space Ace”—was defined by silver stars across his face and guitars rigged with pyrotechnics. He also shaped the band’s identity, even designing KISS’s lightning-bolt logo.
From 1973 to 1982, and again from 1996 to 2002, Frehley alternated his time in KISS with solo projects. Despite the band’s theatrical image, they scored serious chart success: eight Top 40 singles during Frehley’s time, with seven featuring him. Hits like “Love Gun,” “Christine Sixteen,” and “I Was Made for Loving You” bore his signature. He was not present on “Beth,” KISS’s highest-charting single. Even so, the band sold over 100 million records and entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Out of the four founding members of Kiss, I definitely have been the most successful solo artist,” Frehley once asserted in a 2024 interview. He anchored that claim with his cover of “New York Groove,” which became his biggest solo hit and a staple in concert playlists today.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, he was the youngest of three children. His musical awakening came early. He received his first electric guitar at age 14 and absorbed influences from legends like The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. An early nickname—Ace—was given to him by a drummer in his first band for his knack at matchmaking. When KISS issued a classified ad for a guitarist, it was his audition—and his mother’s drive—that landed him the spot.
Though Stanley and Simmons dominated KISS’s songwriting, Frehley contributed compositions such as “Cold Gin.” He later led vocals on his own “Shock Me.” His creativity extended beyond performance. In interviews, he reflected critically on KISS’s merchandising juggernaut, noting an increasing detachment from pure musicianship:
“There were Kiss lunchboxes, Kiss action figures, Kiss makeup kits, Kiss dolls. You name it, we sold it.”
But personal struggles clouded his brilliance. Substance use was often noted. One bandmate said:
“Ace’s judgments have been clouded since the beginning, and that’s being kind.”
Another noted in his biography that at times it was unclear “whether Ace knew the back side of his guitar to the front.” Still, Frehley saw these battles as part of his identity. He later credited sobriety, achieved in 2006, for restoring clarity.
After leaving KISS in 1982, he founded Frehley’s Comet. He released several solo albums that kept a dedicated fan base. His return in the mid-1990s brought massive tours and renewed energy. This lasted through the early 2000s until his final appearance with the band in 2002.
In 2025, Frehley had already canceled his remaining tour dates. He cited “ongoing medical issues” after his fall, which was first described publicly as minor. TMZ and other outlets later reported he had suffered a brain bleed and had been placed on life support.
Former bandmates paid tribute. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons called him “an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier.” They affirmed, “He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.” Peter Criss said, “With a broken heart and deep, deep sadness, my brother Ace Frehley has passed away … He died peacefully with his family around him.”
As fans process the news, Frehley’s absence marks the end of an era. He was the first of KISS’s original lineup to die. Stanley, Simmons, and Criss remain as living bearers of the band’s mythology. In the coming days, tributes will revisit his spectacular performances, daring solos, and the contradictions that shaped his life.
In the pantheon of rock, Ace Frehley will live on not just as the Spaceman with fireworks—but as an artist whose sound, presence, and raw ambition left an indelible mark on the music world.
