Ace Frehley, the lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Kiss, has died at the age of 74 after suffering injuries from a fall in his recording studio last month.
His family confirmed that the musician passed away on Thursday, 16 October 2025, in a New Jersey hospital following several weeks on life support.
In a statement, his family said:
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. We surrounded him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish his laughter and celebrate his strength and kindness.”
Born Paul Daniel Frehley on 27 April 1951, in New York City, Ace grew up in a musical family. He received his first electric guitar as a Christmas present when he was 13 and quickly fell in love with music.
He taught himself to play by ear and was inspired by legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Led Zeppelin.
In 1973, Frehley co-founded Kiss alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss. He created his famous stage character, The Spaceman or Space Ace, complete with silver makeup and futuristic costumes, which became one of the most recognisable looks in rock history.
However, by the early 1980s, Frehley became increasingly unhappy with the band’s direction and struggled with substance abuse. He left Kiss in 1982, saying later:
“I believed that if I stayed in that group, I would have killed myself.”
After leaving Kiss, Frehley formed Frehley’s Comet, releasing two albums before returning under his own name with Trouble Walkin’ (1989). In 1996, he reunited with the original Kiss lineup for a global reunion tour, which was one of the most successful in rock history.
He remained with the band until 2002. Despite later tensions with Stanley and Simmons, Frehley’s influence on Kiss — and on rock guitar in general — was immense. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kiss.
In recent years, Frehley continued to record music. His final album, 10,000 Volts, was released in 2024, debuting at No. 72 on the Billboard 200 chart .
On 25 September 2025, he fell twice in his home studio and was hospitalised with brain bleeding.
According to reports, he was placed on life support after his condition worsened. He passed away three weeks later, surrounded by family .
Following news of his death, his Kiss bandmates Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons released a joint statement saying they were “devastated” by his passing.
“He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during the most formative chapters of Kiss. He will always be part of our legacy,” they said .
Peter Criss, Kiss’s original drummer, wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“I’m shocked!!! My friend … I love you!”
Tributes also came from musicians such as Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, who said:
“I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace and Kiss’s influence. RIP it out, Ace — you changed my life.”
Ace Frehley is survived by his wife Jeanette and daughter Monique.
