Ace Frehley, KISS Guitarist, Passes Away at 74 After Fall

Ace Frehley, the iconic guitarist and founding member of the legendary rock band KISS, has passed away at the age of 74. He died on Thursday in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall. His family expressed their heartbreak, stating they are “completely devastated” but will cherish the memories they have of him.

In March 2023, Frehley spoke candidly about his health and longevity in an interview with The Aquarian. He expressed confidence in his future, attributing his optimism to his family’s history of longevity. “Luckily, I have good genes,” he remarked, noting that his father lived to be 96 and his mother reached 86. Frehley’s conviction was further bolstered by a psychic who predicted he would live to be a hundred. Tragically, this hopeful outlook came just months before his untimely death.

Frehley, born Paul Daniel Frehley, grew up in a musically inclined family and began playing guitar at the age of 13. Before his rise to fame with KISS, he played in various local bands around New York City and served as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix at 18. KISS achieved massive success in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and becoming a cultural phenomenon with their distinct look and theatrical performances.

Their song “Beth” reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976, and the band’s hits like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” defined a generation. KISS was known for its elaborate stage shows, featuring pyrotechnics, elaborate costumes, and signature black-and-white face paint, with Frehley embodying the persona of “Space Ace.”

Frehley’s passing marks the first death among the four original members of KISS, which included singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, and drummer Peter Criss. The band members adopted comic book-style personas, with Frehley’s character known as The Spaceman. Throughout his career, he was known for integrating innovative effects into his performances, such as making his guitars glow and shoot rockets from the headstock.

In a joint statement, Stanley and Simmons expressed their sorrow, stating, “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.”

As fans around the world mourn his loss, Ace Frehley’s contributions to rock music and his enduring influence will be remembered for years to come.