Ace Frehley recently revealed in an interview how he would like to be remembered. The musician died last Thursday, October 16th, at the age of 74.
KISS guitarist and founding member James told journalist Chaunce Hayden : “I believe I’ll be remembered as an honest guy, a guy who stayed true to his art and was respected by his peers. I brought happiness to a lot of people. I was always the funny guy in KISS. That’s how I’d like to be remembered. Another thing I’m proud of is that a lot of kids come up to me and say they’ve been in recovery for about six months and it’s all because of me. They say if I could do it, they can too. That makes me feel good” [via Blabbermouth ].
The full interview is in Music: 30 Years Of Interviews , Chaunce Hayden's third book of interviews, scheduled for release in January 2026.
Farewell to Ace Frehley, the eternal Spaceman.
Ace Frehley died last Thursday, October 16th, at the age of 74. His family has not yet revealed the exact cause of death, but in a statement on the musician's social media accounts , posted this Friday, the 17th, they reported that Ace died after a fall in his home studio.
Rumors about Ace Frehley's death and premature tributes began circulating online on Thursday afternoon, the 16th. According to the TMZ , the guitarist was being kept alive with the help of machines after suffering a fall at home . The accident reportedly resulted in a brain hemorrhage. The website also reported that the family decided to turn off the machines. "Sources familiar with Ace's situation have told us that he suffered a brain hemorrhage when he fell in his studio a few weeks ago," the site reported.
Ace Frehley had cancelled all previously announced 2025 tour dates due to unspecified “medical issues” following a recent hospitalization. The musician's announcement came two weeks after he cancelled a performance at the Antelope Valley Fair in California, shortly after suffering minor injuries in a fall at home. Ace was also working on his new album, Origins Vol. 4 .
Earlier this year, Ace spoke to The Aquarian : “I think it will last for hundreds of years. I do what I do very well and I have the respect of my colleagues.”
Alongside Gene Simmons , Paul Stanley , and Peter Criss , Ace founded KISS, where he remained from 1973 to 1982, leaving the band due to creative differences and drug problems.