Ace Frehley, the original guitarist of KISS, whose riffs and solos and smoldering guitar (literally) inspired many of your favorite GenX musicians, died Thursday from a brain bleed caused by a fall he suffered in a recording studio several weeks ago.
He was 74.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley in the Bronx in 1951, The Spaceman first picked up a guitar when he was 13 after watching and hearing Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and the Rolling Stones.
He joined KISS when he was just 21 when he answered an ad placed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss, in the Village Voice who were seeking a lead guitarist.
He famously showed up to the audition wearing mismatched sneakers, and knocked their socks off after he plugged in and began to shred. Soon after they hired him.
During the nine years with Ace in the band (1973–1982), KISS ascended from the New York club circuit to become one of the most commercially successful and visually distinctive rock bands ever.
Frehley’s smoking guitar solos were part of an unprecedented spectacle in heavy rock that included pyro, fire, blood-spitting, and levitating drum risers. It raised the bar for what arena concert could be like.
Ace wrote or co-wrote several of their big hits, including “Cold Gin,” and “Shock Me,” and his humor and unpredictability nicely filled the gaps from Gene and Paul's all-business all the time vibe.
One of those business moves came in 1978 when the band decided to release four solo albums on the same day.
While some expected Gene or Paul's to be the most popular since they were the front of mind for many fans, it was Ace's that was the only LP to break through and go platinum when it produced the Top 20 single “New York Groove.”
The tune was a cover of the 1975 Hello tune and became Frehley’s signature track for the rest of his life.
Who was Ace's biggest influence?
“Pete Townshend taught me how to play rhythm guitar,” Frehley said. "Townshend can play the same chord in 20 different places on the neck. It really advanced my style and my chord work, and it helped me as a songwriter.”
When he heard of the tragic news about Ace's death, Gene tweeted a simple message.
"Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace’s legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn’t live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on," he wrote.
Guitar hero Steve Vai also joined the chorus of praise throughout the rock twitterverse yesterday.
"Ace Frehley was the embodiment of rock ’n’ roll attitude — unapologetic, loud, and irresistibly catchy," Vai tweeted.
"His riffs had swagger, his tone had bite, and his presence lit up stages like a supernova. The Spaceman has left the stage, but his orbit will shine forever."
What's interesting about Ace's solo career is according to our database, the 74 year-old rocker performed more in the last decade of his life than the years after he left KISS.
From 2014-2025 he was routinely playing shows after taking a long break from 1996-2007.
Strangely, "Black Diamond" was not a song that he played a lot during his solo years. It was beloved by grunge guitarists and even those pre-grunge, like The Replacements who covered it on their Let It Be album that will be reissued next month.
Pearl Jam's Mike McCreedy says it's his favorite of Ace's leads.
"I feel it. I guess that’s mostly it—I feel Ace’s playing. And that’s the most important part to me. I felt it as a young boy, and now as a man I can still feel it," McCreedy said.
"You know when he goes into the 'Strutter' lead, or the 'Black Diamond' lead—those early solos that he did are so raw and visceral; and not tons of notes, but well-placed," he said.
"I will not sit here and let you malign Ace Frehley," Star-Lord says in a deleted scene in Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
Remind that to anyone who dares sully his good name in the near future. Also keep in mind what drummer Peter Criss wrote today on Facebook.
"With a broken heart and deep, deep sadness, my brother Ace Frehley has passed away. He died peacefully with his family around him. My wife and I were with him to the end as well. I love you my brother," he wrote.
"May the Lord comfort you at this difficult time. As a founding member of the rock group KISS and in Ace's solo career, Ace influenced and touch the hearts of millions of people. His legacy will live on in the music industry and in the hearts of the KISS Army. At this time I ask all of you to please be respectful to Ace's family and allow them to grieve privately. To the KISS Army and Ace's Rock Soldiers, my heart is with you all... Broken..."
