The rock world is in mourning. Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley, best known as the original lead guitarist and founding member of KISS, died today at the age of 74. According to his family’s statement, he passed peacefully in Morristown, New Jersey, following complications from a fall that resulted in a brain bleed.
In late September 2025, Frehley suffered a fall in his home studio and sustained injuries. What began as a seemingly “minor” incident was later revealed to have triggered a brain hemorrhage. In the weeks following the fall, Frehley canceled all remaining 2025 tour dates citing “ongoing medical issues.” Reports later emerged that he had been placed on life support in an intensive care unit as his condition worsened.
His family issued a heartfelt message:
“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.”
Although the exact moment of his death was not publicly detailed, his passing is attributed to complications from the fall and subsequent brain bleed.
Born April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley first rose to prominence when he joined the then-emerging band KISS in 1973. He invented the “Spaceman” persona (also known as “Space Ace”)—complete with silver face paint and cosmic flair—and injected the band’s early sound with fierce guitar riffs, pyrotechnics, and showmanship.
Frehley’s guitar work, especially on tracks like “Shock Me,” “Deuce,” and “Love Gun,” helped define the sonic DNA of KISS’s golden era.
As early as 1978, each KISS member released a solo album; Frehley’s self-titled LP became the most successful of the bunch, driven by his hit cover “New York Groove.”
After departing KISS in 1982 amid creative tensions, Frehley formed Frehley’s Comet and continued to record and tour under his own name. He rejoined KISS for a high-profile reunion in the mid-1990s (1996–2002), appearing on albums and tours during that period.
In recent years, Frehley remained active musically. His 2024 solo album 10,000 Volts showcased his continued commitment to electric rock. Throughout his career, many newer guitarists credited Frehley as a primary inspiration: when asked, dozens would confess they picked up the guitar after hearing his riffs.
Frehley’s death marks the first passing among KISS’s founding quartet. The outpouring of tributes from fans, fellow musicians, and rock media has been immediate and heartfelt.
In many ways, Frehley was a musician’s musician: his style was never about flashy technical show-boating but about soul, feel, tone, and presence. His onstage persona—smoke-emitting guitars, space imagery, cosmic theatrics—helped make KISS into a spectacle unlike any other.
As the rock community reflects on his legacy, one verdict is unanimous: Ace Frehley didn’t just help shape the sound of KISS—he helped define the idea of what a rock guitar hero could be.
Ace Frehley’s death is a moment of sorrow but also a reminder of the lasting power of music and persona. For decades, he carried both the swagger and the substance of rock ’n’ roll. Though he has passed, his riffs, solos, and cosmic imagination will continue to echo in concert halls, speakers, and the minds of fans and musicians alike.
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