A tribute to Ace Frehley, the teen wannabe who became a global superstar

Ace Frehley, Kiss’s self-taught lead guitarist and an influential figure in rock, died aged 74 after a fall caused a brain bleed. His distinctive playing and persona helped shape the band and inspired later musicians, while his uneasy relationship with fellow members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley reflected a career marked by both major success and personal clashes.

Frehley joined Kiss when the band formed in 1973, left in 1982, then reunited with the original line-up in 1996 and stayed for six years. He found sobriety in 2006, but tensions with Simmons and Stanley continued; he was not expected to perform at Kiss’s 2023 hometown farewell. The article also notes that Kiss received Kennedy Center Honors in December 2025, making Frehley the third person to receive the honour posthumously.