KISS Founder Ace Frehley Dies at 74

Ace Frehley, who co-founded Kiss and served as the band’s original guitarist for years, has died. He was 74.

The musician’s family announced the news in an emotional statement on Thursday, Oct. 16.

“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” they began, per Variety. “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,” Frehley’s loved ones continued. “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!” they concluded.

Simmons and Stanley later paid tribute to their late bandmate in a touching joint statement of their own.

“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” the pair began. “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,” they added. “Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”

John Ostrosky, Frehley’s longtime manager, remembered the beloved guitarist as well.

“Since 1976, Space Ace has been my Superman. His kindness, caring, and inclination to mentor was at the forefront until the very end,” Ostrosky told The Post. “His influence will live with me forever.”

Hours before the news of Frehley’s passing, it was revealed that the former Kiss rocker had been placed on life support with a brain bleed following a scary fall he suffered in his studio last month.

Frehley, dubbed the Spaceman and Space Ace, co-founded Kiss alongside Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss in 1973. He remained with the band until his departure in 1982.

After forming his own band, Frehley’s Comet, and then embarking on a solo career, the Bronx native rejoined the hard rockers for a successful reunion tour in 1996 and remained until 2002.

The “Rock and Roll All Nite” guitarist first caused concern last month after announcing that he couldn’t make a performance in California scheduled for Sept. 26 because he suffered “a minor fall in his studio” that resulted “in a trip to the hospital.”

“He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time,” read a message on the “Cold Gin” writer’s Instagram page.

Frehley then canceled the remaining dates of his 2025 tour because of “ongoing medical issues” following the fall that left him hospitalized.

“Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates,” the musician announced in an Instagram post on Oct. 6.

Born Paul Daniel Frehley in the Bronx, the guitarist was introduced to music at an early age.

He taught himself the instrument after being influenced by legends like B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix, and opened up about his own influence on the music world during a candid interview with Guitar World last year.

“I’d probably have practiced a little more if I knew I was going to affect that many people’s lives,” he joked at the time. “It does make me proud and very happy, though, that I influenced a lot of great guitar players. And with so many of them, I can’t even begin to name, I have become friends with too.”

But despite rocking out for years, it wasn’t until 1973 that Frehley got his big break and became one of the four founding members of Kiss alongside Simmons, 76, Stanley, 73, and Criss, 79.

After sticking with the “Rock and Roll All Nite” rockers for nearly 10 years, Frehley departed the band in 1982 to start his own group, Frehley’s Comet.

However, he released his first solo album in 1978, roughly four years before leaving Kiss.

The self-titled record included nine tracks, including a cover of Hello’s 1975 song “New York Groove.” Although Hello found success with the track, it proved to be a major hit for Frehley across the US.

Despite scoring success as a single act and releasing 10 solo studio albums, the Bronx native opted to rejoin Kiss for the band’s reunion tour in 1996. He remained until 2002.

In the years that followed, Frehley only reunited with his former bandmates a handful of times, including a surprise appearance with Simmons at Capitol Records in Los Angeles in Jan. 2018.

“I’d like to invite Ace on stage,” Simmons said to cheers at the time. “Nothing is planned, he just happened to come by.”

“It’s going to be a great day,” Frehley added. “Thank you for coming.”

Frehley’s most recent solo album, titled “10,000 Volts,” was released in Feb. 2023.

As for Kiss, the band took its final bow with two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City in Dec. 2024. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer joined Simmons and Stanley for the concerts, as Frehley and Criss both declined to participate.

Frehley previously made headlines in August when he and his former Kiss bandmates were announced as 2025 Kennedy Center honorees.

“A dream come true that I never thought would materialize,” he told TMZ at the time.