Ace Frehley
April 27, 1951 – October 16, 2025
Paul “Ace” Frehley was the lead guitarist and a founding member of the renowned rock band, KISS. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, Frehley came from a family of musicians and sought out rock and roll as an alternative to getting pulled into street gang life in his neighborhood. Frehley’s career in music started early as he joined his first band in high school. He played in a half dozen bands in New York City in the late 1960s and early ’70s. In 1972, he answered an ad in the Village Voice that was seeking a guitarist for a new band. The audition went well and Frehley joined Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss on a new rock and roll endeavor. The foursome eventually settled on the name KISS.
Even in an act that was as over-the-top theatrical as KISS, Frehley’s on-stage antics stood out. He adopted the stage persona of “the Spaceman” (aka “Space Ace”) and often wielded custom guitars that billowed smoke or emitted flames. Much can be said about the theatrics of KISS, but Ace needed no smoke and mirrors to prove to the world that we was one of the top guitarists in the world in the 1970s.
Frehley also wrote songs; penning more than a dozen songs for the band, including hits like “Cold Gin” and “Rocket Ride.” He often sang lead vocals on his songs. In 1978, the members of KISS famously released individual solo albums. While all sold well, Frehley’s album quickly became the standout. It spawned the hit single “New York Groove” which became somewhat of a signature song throughout the rest of his career.
Creative and personal tensions bubbled up within the band and after drummer Peter Criss was fired, Ace found himself outnumbered and often at odds with Simmons and Stanley. He quit the band in 1982 – briefly returning for a 2nd stint in the ’90s – and embarked on a moderately successful solo career.
He recorded. He toured. He collaborated. Ace kept busy. While his relationships with Simmons and Stanley were sometimes tumultuous, he maintained a close friendship with Criss for the remainder of his life. KISS was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Ace Frehley encountered a series of falls in his home in the autumn of 2025. On October 2nd, he fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a significant head injury that left him on life support with a brain bleed. Two weeks later, he was removed from life support and passed away at the age of 74. He was buried near his parents in the Bronx.
Burial
Woodlawn Cemetery – Bronx NY
Specific Location
Garden Conservatory Mausoleum; Enter the building’s main entrance and proceed through the first two diamond-shaped courtyards (square fountain, then angel statue, respectively). In the third courtyard, turn left and then left again and Ace is interred in the bottom row on your left.
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