Ace Frehley, the famous guitarist and co-founder of Kiss, whose space-age persona, thunderous riffs, and electric performances helped define 1970s rock theatre, passed away on Thursday, 16th October 2025, in Morristown, New Jersey. He was 74. His family told sources the cause of his death was complications from a fall this year.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley on 27th April, 1951, in The Bronx, New York, he was the youngest child among his three siblings. His father, Carl Daniel ‘Friebely’ Frehley, was an electrical engineer and used to play organ at the church, and his mother, Esther Anna, used to play the piano. Frehley grew up surrounded by music, but was inclined towards the electric guitar, which he received as a Christmas gift in 1964. He taught himself how to play the instrument; he often said that playing “saved [his] life.”
Making of the ‘Spaceman’
Frehley worked as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix when he was 18. After that, he began performing in local bands like King Kong, The Outrage, and Cathedral, until he saw an ad in 1972 for a new music band seeking a lead guitarist. The famous story of his audition, of Frehley showing up wearing mismatched sneakers, one red, one orange, immediately impressed the band; within months, Kiss was formed.
Frehley was Kiss’s lead guitarist; he designed the group’s lightning-bolt logo and developed the “spaceman” persona, inspired by his lifelong fascination with science fiction. He painted silver stars around his eyes and, on stage, made his guitar smoke, spark, and sometimes shoot rockets. Frehley’s playing powered many of Kiss’s popular songs, including I Was Made for Loving You, Cold Gin, Shock Me, and Love Theme. His electrifying solo on Shock Me was written after he was briefly electrocuted onstage in 1976; it became one of rock’s most famous guitar riffs.
In 1978, Frehley released his self-titled solo album, which went platinum and produced the Top 20 single New York Groove. A star was later named after him in 1981, a fitting tribute for the band’s “Spaceman”. He parted ways with Kiss in 1982 over creative disputes and personal struggles, but returned to music with Frehley’s Comet, a new band consisting of five members. Their debut album featured the rock hit “Into the Night.” Frehley’s Comet disbanded shortly after their 1989 record, Trouble Walking. He reunited with Kiss in 1996. Frehley performed with the group at the 2002 Winter Olympics before departing again.
He resumed his solo career that included albums such as Anomaly (2009), Space Invader (2014), and 10,000 Volts, the most recent one, released in 2024. He was preparing to release Origins Vol. 3 at the time of his death. Frehley was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Frehley continued recording and touring as a solo artist until a fall in his studio in September 2025 forced him to cancel his remaining shows.
Though described as an “unschooled musician”, Frehley’s influence extended across generations of guitarists. He performed with artists including Slash, Rob Zombie, and Tommy Lee; he even appeared in the hit sitcom Family Guy. His trailblazing guitar playing skills secured him a spot among Guitar World’s 100 greatest musicians.
Frehley is survived by his daughter, Monique, and his former wife, Jeanette. Kiss co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley said in a joint statement, “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley; he was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most foundational chapters of the band’s history. He is and always will be part of Kiss’s legacy.” Fans across the world flooded social media with tributes. Some fans said: The Spaceman has simply returned to the cosmos.
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