Former Kiss Lead Guitarist and Rock Legend Ace Frehley Dead at 74
A co-founding member of Kiss, major rock icon, and inspiration for guitarists everywhere has died this evening, as the family of Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley confirmed that he’d succumbed to injuries he sustained in a fall last month. He was 74 years old.
According to a report by Variety, Frehley’s family issued the following statement:
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. 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!”
Frehley was hospitalized last month after taking a particularly bad fall last month. Though people close to him tried to downplay the severity of his injuries, he was ultimately forced to cancel all of his remaining tour dates as he remained hospitalized. It was eventually revealed that he had suffered a brain bleed and had been placed on a ventilator before ultimately passing away today.
Along with Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Paul Stanley, Frehley helped establish Kiss as a household name since its inception in New York City back in 1972. Derided early on as a sort of gimmick act, Kiss eventually grew into the massive success it is today exactly because of its larger-than-life personas and on-stage theatrics. No one was really doing what Kiss was doing at that time, but once they got rolling, they became the juggernaut spanned across all of entertainment.
Performing in the band as the “Space Ace”, Frehley was featured in the band’s 10 studio albums, from the self-titled release in 1974 until Creatures of the Night in 1982. He then went on to work on a solo career with Frehley’s Comet, as well as under his own name when all four members released their own solo albums in 1978. Over the years, he would go on to perform with artists all over the world. He would eventually return to Kiss in1996 for a massive reunion tour and stayed with the band until his final departure in 2002. Sadly, animosity between him and his former bandmates kept him from ever truly returning to the fold, despite Simmons at one point saying Frehley should come back for a reunion tour.
In the wake of his passing, Frehley is sure to receive tributes from artists and fans from all over the world. We’d like to thank Frehley for everything he’s done to make rock a cooler place. Without Kiss, so many metal artists and bands wouldn’t exist today, so for that, we thank him.
Our deepest condolences go out to the Frehley family and his loved ones. May they find solace in this deeply troubling time.
