Ace Frehley, KISS Co-Founder & Guitar Hero, Dies at 74

Ace Frehley, the founding guitarist of KISS known for his Spaceman persona, has died astatine property 74.

His household shared the quality Thursday (Oct. 16) done a statement: “We are wholly devastated and heartbroken. In his past moments, we were fortunate capable to person been capable to situation him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions arsenic helium near this earth. We cherish each of his finest memories, his laughter, and observe his strengths and kindness that helium bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting connected each of his unthinkable beingness achievements, Ace’s representation volition proceed to unrecorded connected forever!”

Earlier connected Thursday, TMZ reported that Frehley was connected beingness enactment aft suffering a encephalon bleed erstwhile helium fell portion successful the workplace weeks ago. The instrumentalist had canceled his show astatine the Antelope Valley Fair successful Lancaster, California, aft suffering what was past described arsenic a “minor autumn successful his studio, resulting successful a travel to the hospital.” “He is fine, but against his wishes, his doc insists that helium refrain from question astatine this time,” a connection work connected his Instagram astatine the time. Less than 2 weeks later, Frehley’s squad announced connected societal media that helium would beryllium canceling all of his remaining appearances successful 2025 “due to immoderate ongoing aesculapian issues.”

Frehley was a halfway portion of KISS since co-founding the set successful 1973, sticking with the lineup done 1982. He aboriginal returned for the band’s blockbuster reunion circuit successful 1996 and stayed connected until 2002.

The set released immoderate of its astir palmy albums during Frehley’s tenure, including 1977’s Love Gun and Alive II, some of which charted successful the apical 10 of the Billboard 200.

In February 2024, Frehley told Billboard that helium thought determination was inactive a accidental the archetypal KISS lineup mightiness reunite. “I’m the lone crippled successful municipality due to the fact that KISS is supposedly retired — which I don’t judge is gonna happen,” helium said astatine the time. “But beryllium that arsenic it whitethorn … I really added 2 much KISS songs to my set. We added ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ due to the fact that talking to people, they spell … ‘You gotta bash those songs live.’ And I did, and it went implicit fantastic.”

Frehley’s archetypal KISS bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are acceptable to execute adjacent period astatine the three-day KISS Kruise: Landlocked successful Vegas event. Earlier this month, Simmons was besides hospitalized pursuing a insignificant car accident, but helium was “back to work” prepping for the KISS Kruise a time later.

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