NEW YORK (AP) — Ace Frehley, the founding guitarist of KISS known for his Spaceman persona, has died at age 74.
Frehley’s family announced his death Thursday in a statement, saying: “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.”
Earlier Thursday, TMZ reported that Frehley had been on life support after suffering a brain bleed following a fall in his studio several weeks ago. Frehley had canceled a performance at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California, after what was initially described as a “minor fall in his studio, resulting in a trip to the hospital.” At the time, a statement on his Instagram said, “He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time.” Less than two weeks later, Frehley’s team announced he would be canceling all remaining appearances in 2025 due to ongoing medical issues.
Frehley co-founded KISS in 1973 and played with the band until 1982. He later rejoined for the group’s 1996 reunion tour and remained until 2002.
During Frehley’s tenure, KISS released several of its most successful albums, including “Love Gun” (1977) and “Alive II” (1977), both of which reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.
After leaving KISS, Frehley formed the hard rock band Frehley’s Comet in 1984, releasing two albums and an EP. He released his debut solo album, “Trouble Walkin’,” in 1989, which featured a guest appearance by former KISS bandmate Peter Criss.
In a February 2024 interview with Billboard, Frehley said he believed there was still a chance for the original KISS lineup to reunite. “I’m the only game in town because KISS is supposedly retired — which I don’t believe is gonna happen,” he said at the time. “But be that as it may … I actually added two more KISS songs to my set. We added ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ because talking to people, they go … ‘You gotta do those songs live.’ And I did, and it went over fantastic.”
KISS founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are scheduled to perform next month at the three-day KISS Kruise: Landlocked in Las Vegas. Earlier this month, Simmons was hospitalized following a minor car accident but returned to work the next day to prepare for the event.