There is one less legendary guitarist on planet earth… Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley has sadly left the stratosphere at 74. A guitar icon, Ace Frehley, famously recognized as the Spaceman in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band KISS, was a pioneer, innovator, and all-time great performer. Unique in many ways, Frehley’s death was sudden and shocking, as on September 25, 2025, he suffered a fall in his home studio, which forced him to cancel tour dates in continued support of his outstanding 2024 solo album, 10,000 Volts. An incident that his family respectfully kept relatively private, on October 16, 2025, it was announced that Frehley had passed away, leaving a gaping hole in the hearts of Rock-n-Roll fans worldwide.
Born in the Bronx, New York, Paul Daniel Frehley spent his early years in a musical family. His parents were of Dutch, German, and Cherokee descent. They passed their love of music down to their children, as Frehley’s brother and sister were both musically inclined. Having his strong support system, Frehley was no different and naturally took to music, receiving his first guitar at the age of fourteen. Handed to him by his brother Charles, who was a tremendous early influence, the brothers’ musical paths diverged: Charles went on to play classical guitar in a Folk band, and Paul received the nickname “Ace” in high school (not related to his guitar playing, but because he was pretty good at getting his friends dates). Then, at twenty-two years of age, Frehley would go on to co-found one of the biggest Rock-n-Roll bands ever, the one and only KISS.
Extremely passionate about music and Science Fiction (hence the persona of Spaceman), Frehley was heavily influenced by guitar greats Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, and Jimmy Page, as well as by bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Cream. Always involved in music before co-founding KISS, he played in several local New York City bands, including The Outrage, King Kong, Cathedral, and Molimo. Leaving high school when Cathedral started earning a bit of money, he returned later to earn his diploma, but big things were still ahead.
Giving a bit of back story, in late 1972, Frehley answered an ad in The Village Voice placed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss, who were looking for a lead guitarist. The story goes that he showed up wearing one orange sneaker and one red one. While his audition attire did not earn style points, his unique musical style and proficiency on his instrument drew the band’s immediate attention, and he was hired on the spot.
What happened next made musical history. The four musicians who settled on the name KISS in early 1973 created and went on to become one of the biggest Rock-n-Roll acts of all time. Their incredible stage show and theatrics had never been seen before. The scope and scale of a KISS performance were unheard of in the history of Rock. Part of the spectacle was the creation of the band’s alter ego characters, and one of the biggest was Ace Frehley’s Spaceman. As alluded to, “Space Ace” was born of Frehley’s love of Sci-Fi cinema, comics, and outer space. He once joked that he was an alien from the Planet Jendell, which was a believable story that fans ate up.
Settling in as the must-see guitarist of KISS, Frehley was famously uncomfortable singing his own songs. In fact, when Ace wrote “Cold Gin” for KISS’s 1974 self-titled debut, he deferred the vocal duties to Gene Simmons, lacking confidence in his own voice. Then, when Frehley wrote ”Parasite,” which appeared on 1974’s Hotter than Hell, he also called on Simmons to sing. Interesting to learn that it was not until Frehley wrote “Shock Me” for the epic 1977 Love Gun record that he sang lead vocals on a song he had written for the band. Looking deeper into this, “Shock Me” was based on an experience he had during a live show in Lakeland, Florida, in 1976, when he was electrocuted on stage after grabbing a handrail to descend a set of stairs. The guitarist was hit with 220 volts, leaving him unconscious. Rather frightening, he later said of the incident, ”I guess my guardian angel was watching over me that night.”
As KISS grew in popularity and scope, Frehley innovated his own brand of on-stage theatrics centered around his instrument. During his live performances, smoke would billow from his signature Les Paul guitar’s neck pickup, and he had his guitar techs rig his guitars to shoot fireworks or rockets from the headstock or to emit laser lights. In interviews, Frehley speaks about how he ruined many guitars in the beginning with stunts like this. It was all worth it in the end, and his guitar work and live theatrics were otherworldly, making him one of the most beloved members of the group. However, despite the silver lightning bolts, shiny face paint, huge platform boots, long capes, mirror shards, pyrotechnics, blazing guitar work, and captivating stage presence, Frehley was the most chill, relaxed, and laid-back of all the KISS members. Simply put, Frehley was honest, unapologetic, down to earth, and hysterical.
Looking more closely at his trajectory with KISS, in 1978, the band released four solo albums on the same day. A bold, never-before-seen move in the music industry: four band members simultaneously recording solo records. They sold well, in part due to the release of Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, a television movie produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, which came out at a time when the band felt it could do no wrong.
Nonetheless, out of the four solo efforts, Frehley’s album entitled Ace Frehley was the biggest hit, reaching #26 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. The album included a cover of “New York Groove” (originally written by Russ Ballard and originally performed by the glam rock outfit, Hello), which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Furthermore, “Rip It Out,” the instrumental track “Fractured Mirror,” “I Need Your Love,” and “Speeding Back to My Baby,” were standout tracks from this initial solo endeavor.
Really hitting his stride, in 1979, the infamous KISS interview with Tom Snyder was aired on television. Considered the best Frehley interview to that point, it was a testament to his outrageous personality, with his raucous laugh infectious, though not as humorous to certain other members of the band. Overall, this piece of history is a great watch and gives insight into the band dynamic at the time, as cracks were beginning to form. Moving forward, KISS released Dynasty in 1979, which spawned the Disco hit “I Was Made for Loving You.” With the band’s sound changing, so was Frehley, and inside he knew it was almost time to go. Then, in 1980, KISS released Unmasked, a critical flop that was unpopular among fans. Following that was KISS’s Music From the Elder in 1981, their first-ever concept album. After performing poorly on charts, KISS released Creatures of the Night in 1982 with new drummer Eric Carr, who was brought in to replace Peter Criss. Although Frehley appears on the cover of this album, he did not play on it, and it would mark the end of his time with KISS.
Creative differences and feelings of isolation, among other issues, led Frehley to officially leave “The Hottest Band in the World” by choice in 1982. Unfortunate for fans, the good news was that a new chapter was about to unfold when Frehley fully launched his solo career with his band Frehley’s Comet in 1987. Going on to release two records as Frehley’s Comet, including the self-titled debut in 1987, and Second Sighting in 1988, there was Trouble Walkin’ in 1989 (which was released simply as Ace Frehley) before going on hiatus. At this point, lead vocals were no longer an issue for the Spaceman. In fact, his embrace of lead vocal work enabled him to maintain his authenticity, and fans were treated to Ace Frehley’s music without the color or influence of another voice.
Making music on his own terms, fortunately for fans, after a few years spent away from the public eye, Frehley rejoined KISS in 1996 for a hugely successful reunion tour that included the original four members of the band. He would then record with them for Psycho Circus in 1998, where he played guitar on a couple of the album’s tracks and sang lead vocals on “Into the Void” and “You Wanted the Best.” A great gift to the KISS army, Frehley remained with the band for a while, but after a “Farewell Tour” with KISS in late 2001, he returned to a solo career.
Honest about his addiction problems throughout his musical career, it is easy to say how the incredible level of fame and fortune, coupled with KISS’s rigorous touring schedule at its peak, took a toll on the young guitar prodigy. Then, after decades of struggles, in 2006, after a heartfelt conversation with his daughter Monique about his health, Frehley got sober and stayed that way until the end of his life. A renewed Frehley released the highly anticipated Anomaly in 2009, which debuted at #27 on the Billboard 200 and earned high praise from critics and fans alike. From here, he would release five more solo records between 2014 and 2024.
Summarizing his resurgence of a solo career, 2014’s Space Invader reached #9 on the Billboard 200 chart and received positive reviews across major platforms. Then you have 2016’s Origins Volumes 1 and 2, from 2020, featuring cover records celebrating Frehley’s rock origins and his favorite influences. Great listens, these releases featured guest stars like Slash of Guns N’ Roses, Lita Ford, John 5, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, as well as KISS’s Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick. Then in 2018, Frehley put out Spaceman, which has the distinction of featuring KISS co-founding member and former bandmate, Gene Simmons, who plays on the record and is credited as a co-writer on two of its tracks, “Without You I’m Nothing” and “Your Wish is my Command.” A fantastic album, Spaceman reached #49 on the Billboard 200 chart, but no one should overlook 2024’s 10,000 Volts, which peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard 200 chart and features one great song after another.
Altogether, Ace Frehley’s guitar playing, writing, and vocal performances are authentic. Not unlike that of Bob Dylan or Tom Waits, his unconventional vocal style, with deep musical conviction, from the heart, from the soul, makes Ace Frehley unmistakable. In truth, the Spaceman was a small piece of the Paul Daniel Frehley story. His influence was immeasurable, with many younger guitarists citing him as an inspiration. He was a pioneer on guitar, taking his place among Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” He broke ground in performance and theatre, creating the Spaceman character and turning his instrument into a visual spectacle.
More importantly, Ace Frehley faced down demons and beat them. He persevered through life’s struggles, fighting his way back into the light from the darkness and remaining true to his soul through his music. Beloved and revered by the masses for just being himself, Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley has forever left his mark on planet Earth.
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