A few months before his death at the age of 74, Ace Frehley was given a life expectancy of 100 years.
“Fortunately, I have good genes. My father lived to be 96, my mother lived to be 86, and her sister lived to be 99,” the KISS founding member and guitarist told The Aquarian in March 2025.
He added: “‘I just talked to a psychic. She said, ‘Ace, you’re going to live to be 100.'” So I said, “No problem!”
Frehley revealed in an interview that previous injuries posed challenges to his music career.
“About two and a half years ago, I fell down the stairs and hurt my arm,” he revealed.
“I landed on my right arm, which was tough, and that’s the arm that strums the guitar,” Frehley continued. “So it’s a great feeling to be on stage, because I didn’t know if I was going to be back to normal.”
The iconic guitarist passed away on Thursday, his family confirmed in a statement.
“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 his fondest memories, his laughter, 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 his amazing accomplishments in life!”
Former Kiss bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley released a heartfelt joint statement following the news of Frehley’s death.
“We are devastated by the death of Ace Frehley,” they wrote. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock warrior in the most formative and foundational chapter of the band and its history.”
“He is and will always be a part of the KISS legacy,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts are with everyone who loved him, including (estranged wife) Janet, (daughter) Monique, and his fans around the world.”
The official cause of death has not been disclosed. The glam metal rocker was reportedly placed on life support in the hours leading up to his death.
According to TMZ, the musician fell in the studio a few weeks ago and suffered a brain hemorrhage. The newspaper reported that although Fraley was on a ventilator, his condition did not improve and his family considered removing him from life support.
On October 6, Frehley announced on Instagram that he had canceled all remaining dates on his 2025 tour due to “ongoing medical issues.”
The hitmaker founded the iconic band with Stanley, Simmons and Peter Criss. After nine years with the flamboyant group, Frehley left the band in 1982, only to return for a 1996 reunion tour. Frehley remained with KISS for another six years until 2002.
