Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist of the legendary hard-rock band Kiss, died on Thursday in Morristown, N.J., at the age of 74.
His family confirmed that the cause was a recent fall at his home, though specific details regarding the location in Morristown were not disclosed.
Like all members of Kiss, Mr. Frehley was a masterful showman. He famously donned white-and-silver face makeup, captivating millions of fans across his two tenures with the band (1973-1982 and 1996-2002). Known as ‘the Spaceman’ or ‘Space Ace’ for the distinctive silver stars on his face, he also designed the band’s iconic lightning-bolt logo. His performances were legendary, often featuring guitars rigged with spectacular pyrotechnic effects.
The other founding members of Kiss included guitarist Paul Stanley, drummer Peter Criss, and bassist Gene Simmons, who was recently hospitalized after a car crash. All four are scheduled to be honored at the Kennedy Center in December.
While many rock enthusiasts initially dismissed Kiss as mere gimmicky charlatans – the band members famously avoided being photographed without their stage makeup until 1983 – their high-energy, theatrical live performances quickly garnered a devoted following of teenagers, affectionately known as the Kiss Army. During Mr. Frehley’s time with the band, Kiss landed eight singles in the Top 40, including fan favorites like “Love Gun,” “Christine Sixteen,” and “I Was Made for Loving You.” Notably, he was not featured on the band’s biggest chart hit, “Beth,” a ballad that soared to No. 7 on the Billboard chart in 1976.
Throughout his time with Kiss, the band released 11 studio and live albums that achieved gold or platinum status in the United States, contributing to their impressive total of over 100 million albums sold worldwide. With the enduring popularity of their anthem “Rock and Roll All Nite” and the passage of time, Kiss eventually earned critical recognition. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
During the induction, Tom Morello, guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, championed Kiss’s profound influence on a diverse range of artists, from Metallica to Lady Gaga. He specifically praised Mr. Frehley for having ‘blazed unforgettable, timeless licks across their greatest records.’
In a 2024 interview with Antihero website, Mr. Frehley proudly declared that ‘out of the four founding members of Kiss, I definitely have been the most successful solo artist.’ This was largely due to his hit single “New York Groove,” a Top 20 success with a driving beat, which is now famously played at Citi Field after every Mets victory. “New York Groove” was the standout track from a particularly audacious Kiss marketing move in 1978, when all four members simultaneously released solo albums.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley in the Bronx on April 27, 1951, he was the youngest of three children to Carl Frehley, an electrical engineer, and Esther (Hecht) Frehley.
Inspired by iconic bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Paul picked up the guitar at age 13. His parents gifted him his first electric guitar for Christmas, hoping it would keep him out of mischief, though this proved largely unsuccessful. At 16, a drummer in one of his early bands bestowed upon him the nickname ‘Ace,’ impressed by Mr. Frehley’s knack for arranging attractive dates.
In 1972, at 21 and still living at home, he saw an advertisement in The Village Voice seeking a ‘Lead guitarist wanted with flash and ability.’ Believing he fit the bill, he auditioned for the band that would soon be known as Kiss. (His mother even drove him to the audition!) Upon landing the gig, Mr. Frehley adopted the name Ace full-time to avoid confusion with bandmate Mr. Stanley.
While Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were the primary songwriters for Kiss, Mr. Frehley contributed several songs to the band’s catalog, starting with “Cold Gin” on their 1974 debut album, simply titled “Kiss.” Initially hesitant about his own vocal abilities, he didn’t sing lead on his compositions until “Shock Me” appeared on the band’s sixth album, “Love Gun,” released in 1977.
Mr. Frehley was known as the band’s most enthusiastic user of drugs and alcohol, a stark contrast to Mr. Simmons, who remained a lifelong teetotaler. In the 2003 authorized biography “Kiss: Behind the Mask” by David Leaf and Ken Sharp, Mr. Stanley was quoted expressing concern, stating that at times, “I don’t know if Ace knew the back side of his guitar to the front and it was probably due to ingesting certain liquids.”
Mr. Simmons further remarked, “Ace’s judgments have been clouded since the beginning, and that’s being kind.”
In his 2011 memoir, “No Regrets,” co-written with Joe Layden and John Ostrosky, Mr. Frehley revealed his alienation from the band grew due to its intense commercialism. He recalled: “There were Kiss lunchboxes, Kiss action figures, Kiss makeup kits, Kiss dolls. You name it, we sold it.” Despite his reservations, he conceded that he thoroughly enjoyed the substantial income, which he claimed reached $100 million annually in the late 1970s.
Mr. Criss departed the band in 1980, with Mr. Frehley following in 1982. Kiss continued with various replacement members, while Mr. Frehley embarked on a solo career, releasing seven more albums under his own name and two with his group, Frehley’s Comet.
Both he and Mr. Criss rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a series of highly successful reunion tours. Mr. Frehley’s final performance with the band took place in Salt Lake City, during the closing ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Mr. Frehley contended that his struggles with drugs and alcohol were intensified by Mr. Simmons and Mr. Stanley’s tendency to downplay his contributions to Kiss. On a 2024 episode of the “Guitar Tales with Dave Cohen” podcast, he shared that he achieved sobriety in 2006, a decision spurred by ’10 car accidents.’
He began a relationship with Jeanette Trerotola at 18. They married in 1978 and legally separated seven years later but remained married. She survives him, along with their daughter, Monique; his brother, Charles; and his sister, Nancy Salvner.
Throughout his career, Mr. Frehley equally prized his musical talent and his captivating stage presence. In a 1997 interview with Fuzz magazine, he mused that if two guitarists possessed equal skill, yet one was a dynamic performer while the other remained static, ‘Nine times out of 10 to an untrained ear in the audience, they’ll probably say that the guitar player who jumps around and stuff is the better musician.’ This philosophy guided him: ‘To me,’ he declared, ‘image was very important.’