KISS icons Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have paid heartfelt tribute to their late bandmate Ace Frehley, who has died aged 74 following a brain bleed.
Frehley, the band’s original lead guitarist and creator of the Spaceman persona, was taken off life support after being hospitalised in recent weeks.
In a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Simmons and Stanley said they were “devastated” by the loss of their former bandmate, who helped define the sound and image of one of rock’s most iconic acts.
“I am devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” they wrote. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. “
The pair added: “He is and will always be a part of KISS's legacy. My thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Frehley, who co-founded KISS in New York in 1973 alongside Simmons, Stanley and drummer Peter Criss, helped the group craft a flamboyant new brand of rock music.
With his smoking guitar solos, towering boots and trademark makeup, Frehley was instrumental in shaping the band’s explosive live shows and chart-topping hits including Rock and Roll All Nite, Detroit Rock City and I Was Made for Lovin’ You.
After leaving the band in 1982, he formed Frehley’s Comet before reuniting with KISS for their blockbuster 1996 reunion tour.
He departed again in 2002 but continued to perform and record as a solo artist, releasing eight studio albums, the most recent being Origins Vol. 2 in 2020.
Frehley’s death comes just weeks after he was forced to cancel the remainder of his 2025 tour dates due to ongoing health problems.
According to TMZ, the guitarist collapsed in his home studio after a fall that caused a serious head injury and led to a rapid decline in his condition.
His representative, Lori Lousararian, told Rolling Stone that his health worsened following “a recent fall at his home,” though further details were not shared.
In one of his final updates to fans, Frehley described the tour cancellation as a “difficult decision.”
Sources later confirmed to TMZ that the musician had been on a ventilator for several days before his family made the heartbreaking decision to end life support.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, his family said they were “devastated and heartbroken” but grateful to have been by his side in his final moments.
“In his last moments, we were able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth,” they said.
Fellow musicians also shared tributes, including Poison frontman Bret Michaels, who wrote: “Ace, my brother, I surely cannot thank you enough for the years of great music, the many festivals we've done together and your lead guitar on Nothing But A Good Time.
“All my love and respect, from my family and myself - may you rest in peace!!!”
Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello called Frehley his “first guitar hero”, adding: “My first guitar hero, Ace Frehley, has passed away. The legendary Space Ace Frehley inspired generations to love rock n roll and love rock n roll guitar playing.
“His timeless rifts and solos, the billowing smoke coming from his Les Paul, the wobble and his unforgettable laugh will be missed but will never be forgotten. Thank you, Ace for a lifetime of great music and memories.”
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam said: “I heard about Ace Frehley's passing from Rick Friel who I played with in a show called Shadow. Rick was also the first guy on the bus in 1977 with a KISS lunchbox to tell me about Ace...just changed my life.
“I got a guitar in 1978 to join Rick's band Warrior which turned into Shadow. We covered ‘C'mon and Love Me’. All my friend have spent untold hours talking about KISS and buying KISS stuff. Ace was a hero of mine and also I would consider a friend. I studied his solos endlessly over the years....
“Just listen to ‘Alive,’ I used his solo from ‘She' as a template. Ace jammed on ‘Black Diamond’ with Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden... a dream come true for me. I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace and KISS's influence. RIP it out Ace, you changed my life. Thank you. - Mike.”
Frehley is the first of KISS’s original four members to pass away.
