KISS paid an emotional tribute to late guitarist Ace Frehley in their first performance since his death.
“Obviously, before we leave, and we’re going to have a great time, but before we leave, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on who was the foundation of this band,” frontman Paul Stanley told the Las Vegas crowd over the weekend.
“We’re talking about an ace,” he continued. “We certainly had our differences, but that’s what family is all about.”
Stanley, 73, then asked the crowd to “take a moment of silence for Ace” before beginning his performance.
The band, now consisting of Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, held the three-day “KISS Cruise: Landrock in Vegas” event a month after Frehley’s death.
The former guitarist and founding member of KISS tragically passed away on October 16 at the age of 74 after being hospitalized on life support, his family announced in a statement.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Stanley and Simmons said in a joint statement.
“He was an essential and irreplaceable rock warrior during the most formative years of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”
“Our thoughts are with everyone who loved him, including (his estranged wife) Janet, (daughter) Monique, and his fans around the world,” the statement concluded.
A few weeks before his death, Frehley fell in his studio and suffered a brain hemorrhage.
According to TMZ, a report from the Morris County (New Jersey) Coroner’s Office determined that his death was caused by blunt force head injuries sustained during the fall.
Mr. Fraley suffered a subdural hematoma, a skull fracture and a stroke. The musician received medical attention and life-saving measures, but to no avail.
His family ultimately made the decision to remove life support. Fraley’s death was ruled accidental.
Frehley was a founding member of the band, which formed in 1973. He left the group in 1982, but reunited with the band on a reunion tour from 1996 to 2002.
Original members Stanley, Simmons and Peter Criss reunited last month for the guitarist’s memorial service in New York. This will be their first time together since the 29th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2014.
