Ace Frehley, the legendary “Spaceman” guitarist and founding member of KISS, has died at 74 in Morristown, New Jersey, after complications from a tragic fall in his home studio, marking the heartbreaking end of a groundbreaking rock career that forever changed music history and left fans mourning the loss of an irreplaceable icon.

Ace Frehley, the electrifying “Spaceman” who helped launch KISS from New York’s gritty clubs to the stars of rock history, has died at 74.

The legendary guitarist passed away on October 16, 2025, in Morristown, New Jersey, following complications from a devastating fall in his home recording studio several weeks earlier.

Doctors confirmed that Frehley suffered a severe brain injury, and despite days of intensive care, he never regained full consciousness.

Surrounded by family, close friends, and longtime manager John Ostrosky, he passed peacefully late Tuesday night, ending one of the most explosive and unforgettable careers in rock ’n’ roll.

Born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Ace grew up in a working-class family where music became both escape and rebellion.

He taught himself to play guitar after being inspired by legends like Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, often practicing for hours in his parents’ apartment while blasting records until neighbors pounded on the walls.

“He had this obsession with sound,” his older brother Charles once recalled.

“Even when he didn’t have a band, he had the dream.”

That dream took flight in early 1973 when Frehley answered an ad in a New York newspaper placed by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, who were searching for a lead guitarist to complete their new band.

Frehley showed up to the audition wearing mismatched sneakers and carrying a cheap guitar—but from the moment he struck the first chord, everything changed.

“He blew us away,” Simmons later said.

“We didn’t even need to talk about it.

That sound—that energy—it was pure Ace.”

Together, Frehley, Stanley, Simmons, and drummer Peter Criss formed KISS, a band that would revolutionize live performance with its blend of heavy riffs, theatrical makeup, and pyrotechnic stage shows.

Frehley’s “Spaceman” persona, complete with silver face paint and futuristic costumes, became an instantly recognizable part of the group’s identity.

His guitar solos, often accompanied by smoke, sparks, and explosions, became the stuff of rock legend.

By the late 1970s, KISS had become one of the biggest bands in the world.

Albums like Destroyer, Love Gun, and Alive! turned them into international icons, while Frehley’s guitar work defined the band’s sonic power.

His 1978 solo album, Ace Frehley, which included the hit “New York Groove,” outsold the solo projects of his bandmates and became a cult classic that still resonates with fans today.

Yet behind the fame and the fireworks, Frehley struggled with substance abuse, burnout, and growing creative differences with Simmons and Stanley.

By 1982, tensions within KISS reached a breaking point.

Frehley, increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the band, left after the release of Creatures of the Night.

“I needed to find myself again,” he admitted years later in his memoir No Regrets.

“I was losing the joy that made me pick up the guitar in the first place.

” In the years that followed, Frehley launched a solo career, forming his own band, Frehley’s Comet, and releasing several well-received albums that showcased his raw guitar talent and signature humor.

Despite the professional distance, Frehley and KISS remained linked in the public imagination.

In 1996, the original lineup reunited for a massive world tour, donning their famous makeup once again.

The reunion was both a celebration and a reconciliation—though not without friction.

“It was like being back with family,” Frehley told a journalist in 2001.

“And like any family, we fought, laughed, and made some magic.”

Over the next two decades, Frehley remained a beloved figure in the rock world, often appearing at conventions, interviews, and benefit shows.

His influence stretched far beyond KISS; guitarists from Slash to Dave Grohl to Billie Joe Armstrong cited him as an inspiration.

“Ace taught us that rock could be dangerous but fun,” Grohl once said.

“He made you believe in the myth of rock ’n’ roll.”

News of Frehley’s passing sent shockwaves through the music community.

Paul Stanley wrote, “There’s no replacing Ace.

He was lightning in a bottle, the sound of rebellion and wonder.

My heart is broken.

” Gene Simmons added, “We fought, we laughed, and we made history.

There will never be another Spaceman.

” Fans around the world gathered outside venues KISS once played, lighting candles and blasting “New York Groove” in tribute to the man who made guitars sound like rockets launching into the stars.

Friends close to the musician revealed that in his final weeks, Frehley had been working on a new solo project—an album of instrumental tracks inspired by outer space and titled Final Orbit.

“He was so proud of it,” said Ostrosky.

“He told me, ‘This one’s going to be my goodbye to the galaxy.

’” The album, which was nearly completed before his accident, is expected to be released posthumously later this year.

Ace Frehley’s death marks not only the loss of a legendary guitarist but the end of an era.

His fusion of showmanship, humor, and unfiltered passion helped redefine what it meant to be a rock star.

For millions, he wasn’t just a member of KISS—he was KISS.

As fans mourn his passing, one thing is certain: the Spaceman may be gone, but his music, his laughter, and his fire will echo through the universe forever.