Ace Frehley, who was the original lead guitarist and co-founder of the famous rock band KISS, has died at 74. His family confirmed the news on Thursday, October 16, 2025. They said he died peacefully in Morristown, New Jersey, after having problems from a fall at home. Frehley had a serious brain bleed after the fall, and AP News says he was put on life support. His family made the heartbreaking choice to take him off the ventilator, even though they had hoped he would get better. His death marks the end of the first founding member of KISS. He left behind a musical legacy that changed rock and roll forever.
Ace was born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York. He started playing guitar as a teenager after being inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. He teamed up with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss in 1973 to form KISS, one of the most theatrical and commercially successful rock bands ever. The Spaceman, also known as Space Ace, was Frehley’s stage persona. With his silver star makeup and futuristic guitar effects, he became one of the band’s most famous images. His creative solos and energetic performances helped shape KISS’s unique sound as they became famous around the world in the 1970s.
Frehley’s work with KISS was only one part of what he did. His self-titled solo album came out in 1978 and went platinum. It had his biggest solo hit, “New York Groove.” He later started his own band, Frehley’s Comet, and kept making music that showed off his unique mix of hard-rock riffs and melodic flair. Frehley left KISS in 1982, but he came back for the band’s highly publicized reunion tour in 1996 and stayed with them until 2002. His last solo studio album, 10,000 Volts (2024), was well received by critics and showed that he still had a creative spirit.
After the news of his death, people from all over the world sent in tributes. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, who are also in KISS, called Frehley “an irreplaceable rock soldier” and praised how much he affected generations of guitarists. People gathered outside KISS sites in New York and Los Angeles, lit candles, and shared memories of the musician who brought cosmic energy to rock music. His family released a statement that said, “We are completely devastated and heartbroken.” We were lucky enough to be with him in his last moments, surrounded by love, prayers, and peace. Ace’s memory will live on forever because of all the amazing things he did in his life.
Ace Frehley was more than just a guitarist. He was a rock pioneer, a visionary performer, and a symbol of rebellion wrapped in silver paint and smoke. His legacy lives on in generations of musicians who grew up watching him set his guitar on fire on stage and push the limits of what live rock could be. As fans listen to his timeless solos and exciting shows again, one thing is clear: the Spaceman may be gone, but his sound and spirit will live on in the stars forever.