KISS guitarist Ace Frehley dies aged 74 as family issue statement
Topics: Music
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Tim Mosenfelder
Topics: Music
Rock fans around the world are mourning after the family of legendary KISS guitarist Paul Daniel 'Ace' Frehley confirmed his passing.
Frehley, who has died at the age of 74, was one of the original members of the band.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” his family said in a statement.
"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. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others.
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"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!”
While the specific cause of death is yet to be confirmed, the New Yorker's representative, Lori Lousararian, attributed his passing to a 'recent fall at his home', per Rolling Stone.
Frehley cemented himself into rock history by shredding on the guitar, but he wasn’t all about the riffs - he also wrote some of KISS's most iconic tracks, including 'Cold Gin', 'Parasite', 'Shock Me' and 'Talk to Me', among others.
Frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have shared how their 'devastation'.
"We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley," they said in a joint statement.
"He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.
"Our thoughts are with [Frehley’s wife] Jeanette, [his daughter] Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world."
Growing up in the Bronx, Ace Frehley was caught between chasing athletic dreams and diving headfirst into rock ‘n’ roll, but a few heavy hits on the football field changed everything.
"This is bulls***," he later admitted thinking. "My hands are too important. The guitar comes first."
That moment became the start of something bigger. At just 16, Frehley saw The Who and Cream tear up the stage at the RKO Theater in Manhattan, and it completely flipped a switch.
"The Who really inspired me towards theatrical rock," he said. "When I saw them, it totally blew me away. I’d never seen anything like it. It was a big turning point."
From then on, it was all about the music, and he went on to spend years jumping between bands in the late 60s and early 70s, trying to make it stick.
That was until he spotted an ad that would change his life forever: "Lead guitarist wanted with Flash and Ability. Album Out Shortly. No time wasters please."
The rest is history.