Ace Frehley Dead at 74: Kiss Lead Guitarist Suffered 'Medical Issues'

Ace Frehley, the lead guitarist and cofounder of the rock band Kiss, has died at age 74, Us Weekly has confirmed.

“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. 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 in a statement to Us on Thursday, October 16. “We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. 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!”

According to his family, Frehley passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall at his home.

The news comes 10 days after Frehley announced he was canceling the remainder of his 2025 solo tour dates, citing medical issues.

“Due to some ongoing medical issues, Ace has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates,” he wrote via Facebook on October 6.

That came just two weeks after he canceled a September 26 show as he recovered from a fall that landed him in the hospital.

“Dear Rock Soldiers, Ace had a minor fall in his studio, resulting in a trip to the hospital,” his tour manager John Ostrosky wrote via Facebook that same day. “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.”

Frehley was best known as The Spaceman, or Space Ace, in Kiss, alongside Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. The band grew to prominence in the 1970s, eventually releasing 14 platinum albums and earning a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2014.

The band retired from touring in 2023 but was scheduled to reunite at fan club Kiss Army’s 50th anniversary in November. Kiss is also set to release a 50th anniversary edition of its Dressed to Kill album on October 24.

Frehley, for his part, released his latest solo album, 10,000 Volts, in 2024 and told SiriusXM in February that he was working on a new album of cover songs titled Origins Vol. 3.

The guitarist was born in The Bronx in 1951, first taking up the guitar as a young teenager. He joined Kiss in 1973 after auditioning for the three other founding members, who had already teamed up. The band released seven studio and two live albums from 1974 to 1979, with their trademark makeup and costumes making them one of the most recognizable bands of the time.

Frehley left the group in 1982 amid creative differences with the band’s remaining members (Criss had been voted out of the band in 1980). He then formed his own band, Frehley’s Comet, before embarking on a solo career. He reunited with Kiss for a reunion tour in 1996.

Frehley married Jeanette Trerotola in 1976, and the two shared daughter Monique, 45. They were still legally married as of 2018, though Frehley had been engaged to Rachael Gordon since 2010.

He and Gordon split in 2019 after 11 years together. Around that same time, Freehley met Lara Cove at a Kiss convention in New Jersey. The two later became engaged but split in 2024.