Ace Frehley,lead guitarist for the iconic rock band Kiss and a founding member,has died at the age of 74. The news was confirmed Thursday, September 14, 2023, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fellow musicians and fans worldwide.
Frehley’s distinctive guitar playing was integral to Kiss’s signature sound and stage spectacle, helping propel the band to global stardom in the 1970s. His contributions extended beyond performance; he co-wrote many of Kiss’s most recognizable hits and his iconic “Space Ace” persona became synonymous with the band’s theatrical image. His death marks the end of an era for Kiss and the broader rock community,leaving a void in the landscape of guitar virtuosity.
Frehley was originally a member of Kiss from 1973 to 1982 and again from 1996 to 2002. Throughout his career, tensions with bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were publicly documented. In 2019, Simmons claimed Frehley had been fired due to substance abuse, a claim Frehley refuted in a public statement, asserting he left ”of my own free will, because you and Paul [Stanley] are control freaks, untrustworthy and were too arduous to work with.” He had been sober for 12 years at the time of the statement.
news of Frehley’s passing quickly resonated across social media. Pearl jam guitarist Mike McCready shared a heartfelt tribute, recalling how discovering Kiss through a friend’s lunchbox at age 11 “changed my life.” McCready wrote that he “studied his solos endlessly over the years” and described playing with frehley at Madison Square Garden as “a dream come true.” He added, “I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace and Kiss’s influence.”
bret Michaels, frontman of Poison, also expressed his grief on X, stating, “Ace, my brother, I surely cannot thank you enough for the years of great music… all my love and respect, from my family and myself – may you rest in peace!!!”
Ace Frehley is survived by his wife, Jeanette, and daughter Monique.
