ACE FREHLEY April 27, 1951 - October 16, 2025

He went from teen wannabe to global superstar as the founding guitarist with Kiss, with whom he toured the world and sold millions of albums. In a career blighted by problems often caused by substance abuse, as a guitarist the Space Ace was unique and an inspiration to many.

- Words: Dave Ling

As this issue of Classic Rock went to press, we heard the awful news that Ace Frehley, the zany yet inspired co-founding guitarist of Kiss and longstanding solo artist, had died after suffering a brain bleed following a fall. It was the second of two recent tumbles Ace had at his studio in late September as he worked on a new album. He was airlifted to hospital and placed on a ventilator, but he passed away several hours later in Morristown, New Jersey. He was 74 years old.

Frehley had two spells with New York-based glam titans Kiss, firstly from their foundation in 1973 until a messy exit circa the Creatures Of The Night album in 1982. He was part of a 1996 reunion of the original lineup, and remained on board for a further six years.

Completely self-taught as a guitarist, Frehley’s style and persona were a massive influence on subsequent generations of rock musicians. On December 7 when Kiss receive Kennedy Center Honors, Frehley will be only the third person to receive the honour posthumously.

The guitarist’s relationship with fellow original Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley was never an easy one. Frehley liked to have a good time, which often led to butting of heads with teetotal bass player Simmons and rhythm guitarist Stanley, who largely partied in moderation. He was something of a square peg in a round hole, but that’s what made his contribution to Kiss so vital.

All the same, even after Ace belatedly found sobriety in 2006 the pair continued to keep him at arm’s length. And while Simmons insists that Frehley and co-founding drummer Peter Criss were both invited to attend the band’s final hometown sendoff in December 2023, joining them on stage was never going to fly.

Frehley was a hugely talented musician, but he could be his own worst enemy – promoting the solo record that would prove to be his last, 10,000 Volts, he boasted “My new album is going to make Paul Stanley look like an imbecile”.