Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley, the original lead guitarist and co-founder of KISS, has died aged 74. The man who brought outer space to the stage and forever changed rock guitar passed away on 16 October 2025, only weeks after suffering a fall in his home studio that led to a brain bleed. Frehley had been on life support since late September, following what was initially described as a “minor fall”.
Born in the Bronx, New York, on 27 April 1951, Ace Frehley’s story reads like a rock and roll parable – a self-taught guitarist from a working-class neighbourhood who would go on to help create one of the most theatrical and influential bands of all time. Known to millions as “The Spaceman”, Frehley’s shimmering silver makeup, smoking Les Paul guitars and cosmic stage persona made him one of rock’s true icons.
Ace joined KISS in 1973 after answering a newspaper ad placed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss. He arrived at the audition wearing mismatched sneakers – one red, one orange – but the band was instantly struck by his raw guitar tone and unorthodox playing style. Within weeks, KISS was born, complete with Frehley’s lightning-bolt logo and the makeup characters that would turn them into global rock superheroes.
KISS’s 1974 self-titled debut laid the groundwork for a sound that combined the swagger of hard rock with comic book excess. Frehley co-wrote the classic “Cold Gin”, though his shyness kept him from singing it. His first lead vocal came in 1977 on “Shock Me”, inspired by his real-life near-electrocution during a Florida concert. The track became a live highlight, punctuated by Frehley’s smoking guitar solo – a signature that would become as famous as Gene Simmons’ blood-spitting or Paul Stanley’s star makeup.
KISS conquered the world in the 1970s with albums like Alive! (1975), Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977), but 1978’s Dynasty and Unmasked saw Frehley take on a larger songwriting role. His melodic riffs and spacey tone helped define the KISS sound just as much as the fire and theatrics. In Australia, Dynasty and Unmasked became two of KISS’s biggest albums, fuelling a mania that rivalled Beatlemania.
That same year, each KISS member released a solo album. Frehley’s Ace Frehley outshone them all, going platinum and spawning the Top 20 hit “New York Groove”. His cool, streetwise take on rock and roll proved he could stand alone, a foreshadowing of things to come.
By 1982, tensions and differing musical directions led Frehley to leave KISS. He later said he felt “outvoted” and alienated by the band’s move towards concept albums and softer sounds. Yet his departure didn’t silence him. In 1987, he returned with Frehley’s Comet, a hard rock project that mixed the melodic edge of KISS with ‘80s metal polish. The record sold nearly half a million copies and featured the MTV hit “Into The Night”.
Despite solid follow-ups, Second Sighting (1988) and Trouble Walkin’ (1989), Frehley’s career stumbled under the weight of changing trends and personal struggles. Still, his influence never faded. Guitar World magazine would later rank him as the 14th Greatest Metal Guitarist of All Time.
Ace Frehley played on the last KISS album ‘Psycho Circus’ in 1998 and co-wrote the track ‘Into The Void’. The last KISS album he played on prior to that was ‘Music from The Elder’ in 1981 although he is credited but did not play on 1982’s ‘Creatures of the Night’.
Ace was the sole writer of the KISS songs ‘Cold Gin’, ‘Parasite’, ‘Strange Ways’, ‘Getaway’, ‘Shock Me’, ‘Hard Times’, ‘Save Your Love’, ‘Talk To Me’ and ‘Two Sides of the Coin’.
Ace’s last video appearance before leaving the band was on the ‘Creatures of the Night’ track ‘I Love It Loud’ even though he is not on the recording. Same with the album cover. His likeness is used despite him not being on the album.
In 1996, the impossible happened: the original KISS lineup reunited for a global tour. The make-up was back, the pyrotechnics bigger than ever, and the fans ecstatic. The tour grossed over $140 million and re-established KISS as a major live act. The band recorded Psycho Circus in 1998, though Frehley’s participation was limited to a few tracks, including the standout “Into The Void”.
By 2002, Ace had left KISS once again following the so-called “Farewell Tour”. While the band carried on with guitarist Tommy Thayer donning the Spaceman makeup, Frehley returned to his solo roots, where he arguably belonged.
Frehley’s later career was remarkably productive. After a two-decade gap, he released Anomaly in 2009, followed by Space Invader (2014) and Spaceman (2018). His covers albums Origins Vol. 1 (2016) and Origins Vol. 2 (2020) paid tribute to his influences, from Cream to The Rolling Stones. His final albums, 10,000 Volts (2024) and the posthumously planned Origins Vol. 3 (2025), cemented his reputation as a musician still firing creatively well into his seventies.
Even in his later years, Frehley remained fiercely independent and occasionally combative with former bandmates. He declined offers to rejoin KISS for their final “End of the Road” tour, claiming he wouldn’t perform under conditions that diminished his legacy. Still, there was always mutual respect, if not full reconciliation, between him, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
Ace Frehley’s guitar style was instantly recognisable – equal parts melody, attitude and controlled chaos. His untrained technique and instinctive playing inspired generations of guitarists, from Slash to Dave Grohl. His smoking guitars and glowing fretboards became symbols of rock theatre, influencing the stagecraft of everyone from Mötley Crüe to Ghost.
In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with KISS’s original lineup. During the ceremony, Frehley quipped, “The spaceman has landed – again.”
Offstage, Ace’s story was one of perseverance through addiction, recovery and creative rebirth. His 2011 autobiography No Regrets – A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir became a New York Times bestseller, giving fans a candid look at the highs and lows of his career.
Ace Frehley’s final months were marked by tragedy. In September 2025, he suffered a serious fall that led to a brain bleed. His tour dates were cancelled, and he remained in critical condition until his passing on 16 October.
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