Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band KISS, who captivated audiences with his elaborate makeup and smoke-filled guitar, has died. He was 74.
Frehley died peacefully, surrounded by family, in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall, according to his agent.
Family members said in a statement they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his laughter and celebrate the kindness he bestowed upon others.
KISS, whose hits included Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City, was known for its theatrical stage shows, with fireworks, smoking instruments and fake blood spewing from the mouths of band members in body armour, platform boots, wigs and signature black-and-white face paint.
Bandmembers took on the personas of comic book-style characters — Frehley was known as Space Ace and the Spaceman.
Ace Frehley performed at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas at The LINQ Promenade in 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Source: AFP / Ethan Miller
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” band members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley said in a joint statement.
“He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”
The band was extremely popular, especially in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing its iconic look to sell numerous products.
Frehley and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Ace Frehley (middle) performed with KISS at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast in April 2001. Credit: Dave Hunt
Frehley left the band in 1982, skipping the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. He performed both as a solo artist and with his band, Frehley’s Comet.
But he rejoined KISS in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion and restoration of their original style that came after bands including Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins had expressed their affection for the band and paid them musical tributes.
