The iconic guitarist behind KISS’s signature sound and the silver-faced “Spaceman,” has passed away at 74.
Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and co-founder of KISS, has died at 74.
The rock legend passed on October 16, 2025, following complications from a fall at his home in Morristown, New Jersey, which led to a brain injury.
He was surrounded by family when he passed.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley in the Bronx in 1951, he helped form KISS in 1973 and became instantly recognisable as the silver-faced “Spaceman,” dazzling fans with his pyrotechnic guitar solos.
Frehley played on KISS’s first nine albums, including Destroyer and Alive!, and his 1978 solo record gave the world the glam-rock hit “New York Groove.”
After leaving the band in 1982, he launched Frehley’s Comet and later rejoined KISS for their 1996 reunion, contributing to Psycho Circus in 1998.
A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee with KISS in 2014, Frehley remained a beloved figure in rock until the end.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanette Trerotola, and daughter, Monique. Frehley’s influence on generations of guitarists – and the unmistakable flash of the Spaceman persona – will live on.
