Ace Frehley, KISS Guitarist, Dead at 74
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are mourning their late bandmate.
The KISS members shared a heartbreaking message after the group’s lead guitarist Ace Frehley died at age 74.
“I am devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons and Stanley—who played bass and sang lead vocals in the band, respectively—said in a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter Oct. 16. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history.”
And the duo—who, along with Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, formed the rock group in 1973—insisted that the late musician would “always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”
Closing out their message, Simmons and Stanley sent their condolences to Frehley’s daughter Monique Frehley and her mom, his ex Jeanette Trerotola.
The pair added, “My thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Frehley’s family announced his passing on Oct. 16, weeks after the instrumentalist canceled his remaining 2025 tour dates due to “ongoing medical issues.”
“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,” his family said in a statement to Variety. “We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others.”
They 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!”
Photo by Robin Platzer/Getty Images
And while Frehley had been touring solo in the year leading up to his tragic passing, he still had love for the original KISS lineup, who broke up in the early ’80s and last performed together in 2000.
In fact, he shut down speculation that there was any bad blood among the foursome after they reunited in 2014 to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“The press builds this enigma that we hate each other and all that kind of insanity,” Frehley told Billboard at the time, “but it’s really not true.”
Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images
And Simmons felt equally grateful that Frehley was a part of his story, telling Brave Worlds in April that the rocker and Criss “were equally as important as Paul and myself in the formation of the band and those first few years [of KISS].”
“There’s no question about it,” he added. “It was a four-wheel-drive vehicle.”
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