Ace Frehley, the legendary "Spaceman" KISS guitarist who helped found the group, has died. He reportedly suffered a brain bleed following a recent fall at his studio. He was 74 years old.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” Frehley’s family said in a statement. “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. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”
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KISS co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons added, “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy. Our thoughts are with [his wife] Jeanette, [his daughter] Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Sean Stevenson, President and CEO of Frehley’s record label, MNRK Music Group, issued the following statement: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the devoted community of fans who have stood faithfully by his side through every era of his career. We at MNRK Music Group are deeply honored to have worked alongside Ace and to have been his label home since 2014. His creativity, humor, and passion for music will remain an enduring
part of MNRK’s story.”
The rock icon had canceled all his remaining tour dates earlier this month, though the severity of his health condition wasn’t disclosed at the time. As it turns out, his fall turned out to be fatal, and he succumbed to his injuries on October 16.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27th, 1951 in the Bronx, the guitarist played in a handful of local bands before auditioning for Simmons, Stanley, and Peter Criss in late 1972 as lead guitarist for the band that would become KISS. He adopted the persona of “Space Ace” (later “The Spaceman”).
KISS released their self-titled debut album in 1974 (featuring the Frehley-penned “Cold Gin”). He remained with the band until 1982, appearing on such classic albums as Dressed to Kill, Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and others, as well as their legendary live album Alive! The guitarist arguably had the best of the four KISS “solo” albums that were released on the same day in 1978, with his self-titled LP containing his iconic cover of Hello’s “New York Groove.”
Frehley was replaced by Vinnie Vincent in KISS for 1982’s Creatures of the Night, although he was originally credited on the album. He embarked on a solo career under his own name - and as Frehley’s Comet.
In 1996, Frehley rejoined KISS for a reunion tour, and contributed to a few tracks on the 1998 album Psycho Circus. After the band’s then-farewell tour wrapped up in late 2001 and following a performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Frehley left KISS again - this time for good - only reuniting with the band one time for a few songs on the KISS Kruise in October 2018. Just before that gig, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with KISS in 2014.
Despite expressing interest in rejoining KISS on their most recent farewell tour (which wrapped up in December 2023), he never shared the stage with the band at any of the shows, including the final concert at Madison Square Garden.
In an interview with The Aquarian earlier this year, Frehley said of his legacy, “I think it’s going to live on for hundreds of years. I do what I do very well, and I have the respect of my peers.” Many notable musicians have credited him as the reason they picked up a guitar in the first place.
Before he died, Frehley released a number of songs through 2024’s 10,000 Volts. He had also been working on a new collection of cover songs, Origins Vol. 3. He is survived by his wife, Jeanette, and their daughter, Monique. He is also survived by his brother, Charles, and his sister, Nancy Salvner, as well as several nieces and nephews.
Watch Ace Frehley play with KISS below.
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Article Image: (Left) Press photo of Ace Frehley as his KISS persona as the Spaceman, (Right) Ace Frehley, without his KISS makeup and costume, playing guitar. (Casablanca Records [Available through Public Domain] and thebudman623 [CC by 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.)
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