The rock world just lost one of its loudest voices. Ace Frehley, KISS’s original lead guitarist and founding member, died on October 16, 2025. He was 74. The cause was a head injury that led to a brain bleed, following a fall in his home studio weeks earlier.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, who helped launch the band with Frehley in 1973, didn’t hold back their emotions in a public statement.
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They called his loss devastating and remembered him as “essential and irreplaceable.”
Original drummer Peter Criss kept it short and raw. “I’m shocked!!! My friend… I love you!”
Beyond the KISS circle, the music world stood still. Mike McCready from Pearl Jam said what many guitarists were thinking: “I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace.” Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine called Frehley his “first guitar hero.” That title carries weight. Morello’s a monster on the strings, and he credits Ace for lighting that fire.
Alice Cooper, Steve Vai, Bret Michaels, and more joined the chorus of tributes. Frehley wasn’t just a guy in a costume with a smoking guitar. He was an innovator who made weird cool, who played like a beast, and who wasn’t afraid to be loud and different.
The Lasing Legacy of Ace Frehley
Frehley was born Paul Daniel Frehley in the Bronx, New York. From the start, he stood out. He was the kind of kid who could wire a sound system from scratch, then melt your face off with a solo. No formal training, no fancy lessons—he just played until it worked.
In 1973, KISS came to life with its full original lineup: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace. With his Spaceman character, Ace brought mystery and swagger to the band. That glowing Les Paul of his, rigged to smoke and light up, became a showstopper.
Plus, he also gave the band hit after hit. Ace wrote or sang some of KISS’s most loved songs, like “Shock Me,” “Cold Gin,” and “Parasite.” In 1978, KISS pulled off a stunt few bands have ever tried: four solo albums, all dropped on the same day. Ace’s record crushed it. His single “New York Groove” still gets airplay nearly 50 years later.
After leaving KISS in 1982, he formed Frehley’s Comet. The name fit. He was a flash of rock brilliance with a mind of his own. The solo albums kept coming, and fans stayed loyal. Ace didn’t chase trends. He played the way he always had, and people respected that.
In 1996, Ace rejoined KISS for their massive reunion tour. Fans packed stadiums to see the original lineup one more time. It was loud, messy, and totally unforgettable. That reunion run ended in 2002, but the impact was lasting.
Then came the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2014, the original four were inducted, finally getting credit for reshaping what a rock band could look and sound like. KISS was a brand, and Ace was a major architect behind it.
Ace is survived by his wife, Jeanette, and his daughter, Monique. But his real legacy lives on in every riff, every solo, every kid who plugs in a guitar and turns the volume way up.