Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founder of the glam rock band KISS, who captivated audiences with his elaborate makeup and smoke-filled guitar, has died. He was 74.
According to his agent, Frehley died peacefully, surrounded by family, in Morristown, New Jersey, after a recent fall.
Family members said in a statement that they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his smile and celebrate the kindness he has shown to others.
KISS, with hits including Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City, was known for its theatrical shows, featuring fireworks, smoking instruments and fake blood pouring from the mouths of band members in body armor, platform boots, wigs and signature black-and-white face paint.
Band members took on the personas of cartoon characters – Frehley was known as Space Ace and the Spaceman.
Ace Frehley performed at the 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 always will be part of KISS’ legacy.”
The band was extremely popular, especially in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing the iconic look to sell countless products.
Frehley and his bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Frehley left the band in 1982, skipping the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. He has 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, after bands like Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins expressed their affection for the band and paid them musical tributes.
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