Photo by Jayme Thornton

Ace Frehley, the beloved founding guitarist of KISS, has died at the age of 74. The pioneering guitarist reortedly passed following a recent fall and had been enduring ongoing medical issues. Those same medical issues forced Frehley to cancel his 2025 touring dates earlier this year.

Frehley passed in Morristown, N.J. surrounding by family and loved ones. The Frehley family issued the following statement, "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."

Frehley's legendary career when he discovered the guitar at 13. Even prior to finding his place as the guitarist for KISS, Frehley was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix at all of 18 years old. As the Spaceman, Frehley soared during his tenure in KISS, founding the band in 1973 and performing and recording as their guitarist through 1982. 

Frehley would go onto set a prolific precedent during his time in KISS, recording nine albums during his initial run with the band. From the 1974 eponymous debut to 1981's Music from 'The Elder', Frehley's definitive style that incorporated blues rock, big leads and memorable solos cemented his legacy as The Spaceman. 

Frehley would go onto enjoy a prominent solo career. His self-titled 1978 solo debut included the ageless hit, "new York Groove" - a cover of the 1975 track written by Russ Ballard and first recorded and released by Hello. Frehley's final appearance as a full members of KiSS was the 1982 release, Creatures of the Night. The 80's era of Frehley would established his solo career further, releasing three albums in successive years, starting with Frehley's Comet in 1987, Second Sighting in 1988 and Trouble Walkin' in '89. 

Frehley would resume his post as the guitarist of KISS for a reunion that began in 1996 and extended through 2002, culminating with an appearance at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even late into his career, Frehley enjoyed a distinctive success outside of his legacy with KISS. In 2014, becoming the first solo member of the band to crack the top 10 of the Billboard 200 with his 2014 release Space Invader. Frehley would release his final record as recently as 2024, unveiling 10,000 Volts via MNRK Music Group.

MNRK Music Groups President and CEO offered the highest praise of Frehley, “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the devoted community of fans who have stood faithfully by his side through every era of his career. We at MNRK Music Group are deeply honored to have worked alongside Ace and to have been his label home since 2014. His creativity, humor, and passion for music will remain an enduring part of MNRK’s story.”