Update: Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has tragically died at 74 years old. The following statement from his family confirmed what we all feared: “We are completely devastated and heartbroken. 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. 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!”
We here at Metal Injection extend our condolences to Frehley‘s friends and family at this time. The following is the original story published earlier today, October 16.
Original story: Ace Frehley, founding guitarist of Kiss and rock icon known as The Spaceman, has reportedly been hospitalized and placed on life support following a serious fall in his studio several weeks ago, TMZ reports.
The 74-year-old guitar legend reportedly suffered a brain bleed during the incident, leading to the abrupt cancellation of his upcoming tour dates. While initial statements from Frehley‘s camp suggested his condition was manageable — one Instagram post on September 25 assured fans, “He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time” — sources now say his condition has not improved.
Frehley has been on a ventilator since the accident, with insiders saying his family are now facing the heart-wrenching decision to possibly remove life support as early as Thursday evening. Despite premature social media rumours suggesting he had already passed, it’s understood he remained alive as of Thursday afternoon.
A follow-up statement on his official channels last week was notably more vague: “Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates.”
Frehley was a core part of Kiss’ original lineup, alongside Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss, helping define the band’s larger-than-life aesthetic and hard rock legacy from 1973 to 1982. He returned to the band for their massive 1996 reunion tour, sticking around until 2002. In between, he launched a solo career under the banner Frehley’s Comet, taking his Spaceman persona to interstellar heights from 1984 to 1988.
This is a developing story.
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