KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s cause of death was determined to be blunt force head trauma caused by a fall.
According to a Morris County coroner’s report obtained by TMZ, the musician suffered a skull fracture, a subdural hematoma (a type of bleeding near the brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic), and a stroke.
Fraley, whose real name is Paul Daniel Fraley, was put on life support and underwent medical treatment, but his family decided to discontinue life-sustaining treatment.
His death was ruled an accident.
The rock band’s co-founding member passed away on October 16th. He passed away at the age of 74.
Hours before his death, TMZ revealed that Frehley was rushed to the hospital with a cerebral hemorrhage and placed on life support weeks after suffering a fall at a recording studio.
A statement posted to the rocker’s Instagram on September 25th informed fans of his “minor fall” but insisted he would continue on with the remainder of his “10,000 Volt Tour.”
“He is in good spirits, but against his wishes, doctors have advised against travel at this time,” the statement said. “Ace looks forward to continuing touring and finishing work on his next album, Origins Vol. 4.”
Then, on October 6, another announcement on Instagram said Frehley was dealing with “ongoing medical issues” and had “made the difficult decision” to cancel the tour.
The “Forever” rocker’s family confirmed his death on October 16 in a statement saying, “We are completely devastated and heartbroken.”
“In his final moments, we were fortunate to be able to surround him with loving, caring, and peaceful words, thoughts, prayers, and intentions as he left this world,” the statement read.
“We will cherish all of our fondest memories of him, all of his laughs, and celebrate his strength and kindness that he gave to others. The magnitude of his death is epic and beyond comprehension. Ace’s memory will live on forever as we reflect on all of the amazing accomplishments in his life!”
A week after his death, Frehley was buried in New York City, with a memorial service attended by KISS founding members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss.
The group was formed in 1973 and gradually disbanded when Chris left the band in 1980 and Frehley left two years later.
Although the group has reunited occasionally over the years, the last time they were photographed together was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2014.
