Ace Frehley‘s death turned the rock ‘n’ roll world upside down. The 74-year-old KISS co-founder and lead guitarist died after falling at home in October 2025, his family confirmed. As fellow musicians and peers keep his memory alive, Hollywood Life has compiled a few of the tributes dedicated to Ace, including from his former KISS bandmates.
KISS: Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley
Ace’s KISS bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley released a joint public statement, obtained by Variety, which read, “We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of Kiss’s legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Paul Stanley
I remember 1974 being in my room at the Hyatt on Sunset in LA and I heard someone playing deep and fiery guitar in the room next door. I thought “Boy, I wish THAT guy was in the band!” I looked over the balcony… He was. It was Ace. This is my favorite photo of us… pic.twitter.com/3ojMXqVkQr
— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) October 17, 2025
Paul wrote a separate tribute to his late bandmate in an X post alongside a black-and-white photo that featured Ace.
“I remember 1974 being in my room at the Hyatt on Sunset in L.A., and I heard someone playing deep and fiery guitar in the room next door,” Paul tweeted. “I thought ‘Boy, I wish THAT guy was in the band!’ I looked over the balcony… He was. It was Ace. This is my favorite photo of us…”
Peter Criss
I’m shocked!!!
My friend… I love you!#KissArmy #AceFrehley #Kiss#Spaceman😿😿😿😿😿😿 pic.twitter.com/8CfPJKY5aQ
— Peter Criss (@RealPeterCriss) October 16, 2025
Fellow KISS member Peter Criss also tweeted an old photo alongside the caption, “I’m shocked!!! My friend… I love you! #KissArmy #AceFrehley #Kiss #Spaceman.”
Pearl Jam
Ace Frehley, Eddie, Me in awe…
📸: Danny ClinchI heard about Ace Frehley‘s passing from Rick Friel who I played with in a band called Shadow. Rick was also the first guy on the bus in 1977 with a KISS lunchbox to tell me about Ace…just changed my life. I got a guitar in 1978… pic.twitter.com/0oULzn0A5H
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) October 16, 2025
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam penned a touching tribute via X, calling the late KISS co-founder his “hero.”
“I heard about Ace Frehley‘s passing from Rick Friel who I played with in a band called Shadow,” Mike began. “Rick was also the first guy on the bus in 1977 with a KISS lunchbox to tell me about Ace…just changed my life. I got a guitar in 1978 to join Rick‘s band Warrior which turned into Shadow. We covered ‘C’mon and Love Me.’ All my friends have spent untold hours talking about KISS and buying KISS stuff. Ace was a hero of mine and also I would consider a friend. I studied his solos endlessly over the years… Just listen to ‘Alive,’ I used his solo from ‘She’ as a template. Ace jammed on ‘Black Diamond’ with Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden…a dream come true for me. I would not have picked up a guitar without Ace and KISS’s influence. RIP it out Ace, you changed my life. Thank you. – Mike.”
This story originally appeared on Hollywoodlife
