In Memoriam: Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley, KISS lead guitarist and solo artist, died on Thursday, October 16, 2025, due to injuries he suffered in a fall last month. He was 74 years old.
Frehley and KISS made a huge impact on rock music, live performances, and how a band could market themselves. The glam rock group released songs that were energetic and edgy, and the band performed in theatrical makeup, earning the nicknames the Demon, the Starchild, the Catman, and the Spaceman (Frehley’s moniker).
He was born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in New York City to a musical family. Frehley got his first guitar in ’64 when he was just 13 years old, and played in multiple groups before joining KISS. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were playing with a different group, Wicked Lester, in New York, but left the band after one album. Peter Criss joined them as their drummer, then Frehley would round out the band in early 1973 as the lead guitarist.
Their self-titled first album with “Firehouse” and the Frehley-written “Cold Gin” saw some success, as did the follow-ups, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill. When they released Alive! in 1975 with the energetic “Rock and Roll All Night,” the band hit paydirt. They became a favorite group for teenagers, much to the dismay of their parents.
Success continued with Destroyer that contained the rock anthems “Shout it Out Loud” and “Detroit Rock City” and the ballad “Beth.” In ’76 and ’77, they released Rock and Roll Over, Love Gun, and Alive II – all three of which went platinum. In ’78 all four members of the band released solo albums and many considered Frehley’s – with its cover of “New York Groove” – as the best one.
Frehley left the band in ’82 to embark on his solo career, putting together a band with drummer Anton Fig and bassist John Regan. They performed as both Ace Frehley and Frehley’s Comet, eventually releasing their first album, Frehley’s Comet, in ’87. Two years later, Frehley released Trouble Walkin’ under his own name, but it did not meet the success he had found with KISS.
He rejoined KISS in ’96 for a reunion tour, and stuck with them through 2002. After that, he went back to performing as a solo act, though he did periodically play with KISS at special events.
In 2011, Frehley wrote his autobiography, No Regrets – A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir. KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
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In Memoriam: Ace Frehley
Ace Frehley, KISS lead guitarist and solo artist, died on Thursday, October 16, 2025, due to injuries he suffered in a fall last month. He was 74 years old.
Frehley and KISS made a huge impact on rock music, live performances, and how a band could market themselves. The glam rock group released songs that were energetic and edgy, and the band performed in theatrical makeup, earning the nicknames the Demon, the Starchild, the Catman, and the Spaceman (Frehley’s moniker).
He was born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in New York City to a musical family. Frehley got his first guitar in ’64 when he was just 13 years old, and played in multiple groups before joining KISS. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were playing with a different group, Wicked Lester, in New York, but left the band after one album. Peter Criss joined them as their drummer, then Frehley would round out the band in early 1973 as the lead guitarist.
Their self-titled first album with “Firehouse” and the Frehley-written “Cold Gin” saw some success, as did the follow-ups, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill. When they released Alive! in 1975 with the energetic “Rock and Roll All Night,” the band hit paydirt. They became a favorite group for teenagers, much to the dismay of their parents.
Success continued with Destroyer that contained the rock anthems “Shout it Out Loud” and “Detroit Rock City” and the ballad “Beth.” In ’76 and ’77, they released Rock and Roll Over, Love Gun, and Alive II – all three of which went platinum. In ’78 all four members of the band released solo albums and many considered Frehley’s – with its cover of “New York Groove” – as the best one.
Frehley left the band in ’82 to embark on his solo career, putting together a band with drummer Anton Fig and bassist John Regan. They performed as both Ace Frehley and Frehley’s Comet, eventually releasing their first album, Frehley’s Comet, in ’87. Two years later, Frehley released Trouble Walkin’ under his own name, but it did not meet the success he had found with KISS.
He rejoined KISS in ’96 for a reunion tour, and stuck with them through 2002. After that, he went back to performing as a solo act, though he did periodically play with KISS at special events.
In 2011, Frehley wrote his autobiography, No Regrets – A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir. KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
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Overstreet Access Quick Links
