Ace Frehley, the legendary lead guitarist of KISS, has died following a recent fall at his home. The musician had canceled all his remaining tour dates earlier this month. He was 74 years old.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” Frehley’s family shared 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!”
Born in the Bronx in 1951, Frehley began playing guitar as a teenager in the ’60s. He performed in several bands before answering Paul Stanley’s ad in 1972 looking for a lead guitarist. After auditioning to get in, Frehley designed the logo for KISS and adopted the persona of “Space Ace (later “the Spaceman”) because he was into sci-fi.
The band signed to the disco label Casablanca and released their self-titled debut in 1974. Frehley played on most of the band’s iconic albums, including Destroyer, and Alive!, and occasionally sang lead. In 1978, all four KISS members released solo albums, and Frehley’s was the biggest of the bunch, with his LP featuring a cover of Hello’s disco hit ‘New York Groove’ that landed on the Billboard singles chart.
Frehley parted ways with KISS in 1982, and his band Frehley’s Comet released their self-titled debut in 1987. He continued putting out solo records, most recently 10,000 Volts last year. In 1996, all four original KISS members reunited for the album Psycho Circus and toured in full makeup. In 2001, Frehley published his autobiography No Regrets: A Rock’n’Roll Memoir.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Frehley’s former bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley said in a statement. “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 Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
