Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley break silence on KISS bandmate Ace Frehley’s sudden death at 74 as they pay emotional tribute to ‘irreplaceable’ guitarist

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have been left ‘devastated’ over the death of former KISS bandmate Ace Frehley as they led emotional tributes to the late rock legend.

Frehley passed away at the age of 74 on Thursday after suffering a brain bleed that left him on life support.

The late guitarist – who was one of the original members of the famed rock band -was taken off of life support by his family after he was hospitalized and put on a ventilator, per TMZ. 

Simmons and Stanley issued a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter following the news of Frehley’s passing. 

‘I am devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history.’

They added, ‘He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy. My thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.’ 

KISS was formed in 1973 in New York City with Simmons, Stanley, Frehley and Peter Criss as the original founding members. 

Frehley had been the lead guitarist for the band and was also known for inventing the persona called The Spaceman. 

He performed with the group until he left in 1982 and proceeded to form his own band Frehley’s Comet. 

Frehley later joined KISS once again in 1996 for a reunion tour but would depart from the rock band in 2002. 

KISS was known for a number of hits such as Rock And Roll All Nite, I Was Made For Lovin’ You and Detroit Rock City. 

Amid his own solo career, Frehley released eight studio albums including Trouble Walkin’ (1989), Space Invader (2014) and Origins Vol. 2 (2020). 

Other celebrities paid tribute to the late music artist on Thursday such as Bret Michaels – who is the lead singer of rock band Poison. 

He uploaded a photo of himself posing with Frehley while also penning, ‘Ace, my brother, I surely cannot thank you enough for the years of great music, the many festivals we’ve done together and your lead guitar on Nothing But A Good Time.’

Michaels continued, ‘All my love and respect, from my family and myself – may you rest in peace!!!’ 

Tom Morello – who is known for being a part of the band Rage Against The Machine – also shared a message on Instagram alongside a photo of the late guitarist. 

‘My first guitar hero, Ace Frehley, has passed away. The legendary Space Ace Frehley inspired generations to love rock n roll and love rock n roll guitar playing.’ 

He added, ‘His timeless rifts and solos, the billowing smoke coming from his Les Paul, the wobble and his unforgettable laugh will be missed but will never be forgotten. Thank you, Ace for a lifetime of great music and memories.’ 

MJ Keenan – the frontman for 90s band Tool – also took to Instagram on Thursday to share, ‘Godspeed, Ace.’ 

The Hollywood Walk of Fame uploaded a photo of the band when they received their star back in 1999. 

A statement also read: ‘In tribute to Walk of Famer Ace Frehley, flowers will be placed on his star today, October 16, 2025 at 5:30 pm. 

‘Frehley’s star and that of his bandmates Kiss was dedicated on August 11, 1999, and is located at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard, near La Brea Avenue.’

The Kennedy Center wrote that it is ‘saddened to hear of the passing of one of this year’s Kennedy Center Honorees Ace Frehley of the band KISS. 

‘We send our deepest condolensces to his friends, his family, and millions of fans worldwide. We will be paying tribute to Ace, his work, and his legacy at our ceremony in December.’ 

Rock guitarist Richie Kotzen shared a photo of himself with Frehley and penned, ‘Saddened to hear about the passing of Ace Frehley, a true legend. RIP Hero.’

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam said, ‘I heard about Ace Frehley’s passing from Rick Friel who I played with in a show called Shadow. 

‘Rick was also the first guy on the busy in 1977 with a KISS lunchbox to tell me about Ace…just changed my life. I got a guitar in 1978 to join Rick’s band Warrior which turned into Shadow. We covered “C’mon and Love Me.”‘

He continued, ‘All my friend have spent untold hours talking about KISS and buying KISS stuff. Ace was a hero of mine and also I would consider a friend. I studied his solos endlessly over the years….

‘Just listen to “Alive,” I used his solo from “She’ as a template. Ace jammed on “Black Diamond” with Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden… a dream come true for me.’ 

McCready added, ‘I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace and KISS’s influence. RIP it out Ace, you changed my life. Thank you. – Mike.’ 

Frehley reportedly collapsed in his home studio a few weeks ago, hitting his head in a frightening fall that triggered the medical crisis, per TMZ. 

Frehley’s rep Lori Lousararian told Rolling Stone that the musician’s health deteriorated following a ‘recent fall at his home,’ though details beyond that were not immediately clear.

In the days leading up to his death, Frehley canceled all remaining tour dates – a decision he called ‘difficult’ in an Instagram post to fans.

Sources close to Frehley told TMZ that he had been on a ventilator for days, with doctors seeing little improvement before the heartbreaking decision was made.

Frehley’s family issued a statement obtained by Rolling Stone saying they ‘are completely devastated and heartbroken’ by his passing, but relieved they were able to provide him with comfortable conditions at the end.

‘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,’ Frehley’s family said.

Frehley’s family honored the musicians legacy as well as ‘his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others.’

They continued: ‘The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension.

‘Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!’

Frehley is the first member of the original four members of Kiss to pass away. The original lineup consisted of him, singer/guitarist Paul Stanley, bass player Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss.

The musical ensemble, which formed in 1973, in 2014 was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Frehley played a pivotal role in shaping the band’s wild, face-painted legacy, bringing essential elements of showmanship to KISS’s act.

The band famously blended hard rock anthems – such as Detroit Rock City, I Was Made for Lovin’ You, and Rock and Roll All Nite – with elaborate costumes, wigs, platform boots and over-the-top pyrotechnics.

Frehley was one of the first performers to introduce to the stage guitars that glowed, emit smoke and shot rockets, with many in the industry following his lead in enhancing their instruments to give fans another element of the show to look forward to.

After leaving the group in 1982, he launched Frehley’s Comet before reuniting with KISS for their blockbuster 1996 reunion tour.

He remained active in the band until 2002, continuing to perform and record solo in the years that followed.

Frehley told the website Antihero in April of 2024 that he was proud of carving his own niche as a singles artist as well as a part of the band.

‘Out of the four founding members of Kiss, I definitely have been the most successful solo artist,’ he said, a claim backed up by his 1978 hit New York Groove.

Frehley said that he was also very proud to be influential in his industry, acclaimed clearly backed up by the influx of memorials crediting him for his ingenuity.

‘I have to say, almost every guitar player I meet, at least 75 percent, if not more, say to me, “I picked up the guitar because of you. When I heard Alive!, that was it, I decided to pick up a guitar and start learning your songs,”‘ he said.

Said Frehley: ‘That’s going to be pretty much my legacy that I was able to make the transition from a supergroup like Kiss to being a successful solo artist.’

Amid his recent health woes, Frehley’s official Instagram assured fans he was ‘fine’ in an Instagram post on September 25, though doctors had ordered him not to travel. 

Just a week later, a follow-up post confirmed he was canceling the remainder of his 2025 dates, citing ‘ongoing medical issues.’

The emotional posts left fans frantic for answers, especially after Frehley abruptly announced he was canceling the rest of his 2025 tour.

‘Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates,’ read the somber message posted to his official Instagram on Monday, October 6.

It was the second time in weeks the ‘Spaceman’ musician pulled out of shows due to health concerns. Just last month, he revealed he had suffered a ‘minor fall in his studio’ that landed him in the hospital.

The post at the time read: ‘Dear Rock Soldiers, Ace had a minor fall in his studio, resulting in a trip to the hospital. He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time.

‘As a result, he is forced to cancel his performance at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California on Friday, September 26th.

‘Please go to the fair to support his friends in Quiet Riot and Vixen, and Ace looks forward to continuing on his tour and finishing work on his next album, Origins Vol. 4.’

The tragic news about Frehley comes just days after his KISS bandmate Simmons broke his silence following a frightening car crash in Malibu.

The 76-year-old star was hospitalized last week after apparently passing out while driving down Pacific Coast Highway and slamming into a parked car.

Simmons was treated at a local hospital and later released, telling fans he’s ‘completely fine.’

Taking to X, the bassist joked about his driving skills while thanking everyone for their support: ‘Thanks, everybody, for the kind wishes. I’m completely fine. I had a slight fender bender. It happens. Especially to those of us who are horrible drivers. And that’s me. All is well.’

NBC4 LA reported that Simmons’ Lincoln Navigator veered into a parked vehicle after he allegedly fainted behind the wheel.

The rock icon has since reassured fans he’s recovering and doing well.