Ace Frehley, the pioneering lead guitarist and one of the founding members of the rock band Kiss, has died at 74.
The musician, who helped shape the group’s early sound and inspired generations of players, passed away on Thursday at a hospital in New Jersey after sustaining injuries from a recent fall, according to a statement from his family.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” the family said.
“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!”
Born Paul Daniel Frehley in New York City in 1951, he teamed up with singer Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss in 1973 to form Kiss, a band that would go on to redefine theatrical rock.
After news of his death broke, Stanley and Simmons issued a joint statement saying they were “devastated”.
“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,” they said, offering condolences “to all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Criss wrote on X: “I’m shocked!!! My friend … I love you!”
Frehley reportedly fell inside his recording studio in late September and suffered a head injury that led to a brain bleed. He was placed on life support for several weeks before his condition worsened.
The accident forced him to cancel a planned show in California, and soon after, the remainder of his 2025 tour was scrapped due to “some ongoing health issues.”
Kiss burst onto the scene in 1974 with their self-titled debut album, initially dismissed by critics but quickly embraced by fans drawn to their explosive live shows, face paint and elaborate costumes.
Each member embodied a character: Frehley was the Spaceman (or “Space Ace”), Stanley the Starchild, Simmons the Demon and Criss the Catman.
A natural showman, Frehley became famous for his smoking Les Paul guitar, customized to release plumes of fog during his solos. Despite never having taken a formal lesson, he carved out a distinctive style that influenced generations.
“I’m an anomaly, I’m an un-schooled musician. I don’t know how to read music, but I’m one of the most famous guitar players in the world, so go figure,” he said in 2009.
When all four members released solo albums in 1978, Frehley’s effort emerged as the best-selling, featuring his hit cover of Russ Ballard’s “New York Groove.”
By the time the band appeared publicly without makeup a decade later, Frehley had already departed. He left Kiss in 1982, citing creative differences and personal struggles with addiction.
“I was mixed up,” he later admitted. “I believed that if I stayed in that group, I would have [killed myself]. I’d be driving home from the studio, and I’d want to drive my car into a tree.”
In 1984, he formed Frehley’s Comet, a new band that released two albums but failed to reach the heights of his earlier fame. Five years later, he issued “Trouble Walkin’” under his own name, featuring backing vocals from Peter Criss.
Frehley reunited with Kiss in 1996 for a blockbuster world tour that thrilled fans and revived the group’s original lineup. He remained with them until 2002 but did not take part in the band’s 2022–2023 farewell tour.
In later years, he and Simmons had a strained relationship, with the bassist frequently referencing Frehley’s past addictions in interviews.
When Simmons claimed in 2019 that Frehley was fired from Kiss because of drug use, Frehley publicly pushed back, insisting he had been sober for 12 years and that he quit “of my own free will, because you and Paul [Stanley] are control freaks, untrustworthy and were too difficult to work with.”
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready was among the many musicians paying tribute. The guitarist recalled discovering Frehley at age 11 when a friend brought a Kiss lunchbox to school, a moment he said “changed my life.”
“All my friends have spent untold hours talking about Kiss and buying Kiss stuff. Ace was a hero of mine and also I would consider a friend. I studied his solos endlessly over the years,” McCready wrote, describing their shared performance at Madison Square Garden as “a dream come true for me.”
“I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace and Kiss’s influence,” he added. “RIP it out Ace, you changed my life.”
Poison frontman Bret Michaels also shared his grief on X, writing: “Ace, my brother, I surely cannot thank you enough for the years of great music, the many festivals we’ve done together and your lead guitar on Nothing But A Good Time. All my love and respect, from my family and myself – may you rest in peace!!!”
Frehley is survived by his wife, Jeanette, and daughter, Monique.
