Ace Frehley spoke to many with his guitar playing in the band KISS all throughout the 70s and again for the band’s reunion period in the 90s. Frehley and drummer Peter Criss being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 still serves as one of Frehley’s most memorable moments. Tragically, he passed this Thursday in Morristown, New Jersey. Rolling Stone cites Frehley’s rep, Lori Lousararian, to comment on his death as, “a recent fall at his home” and goes on to state a specific cause of death is not available.
Frehley’s parents spoke highly of him after mentioning his last moments were filled with their love and energy,
“The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension.”(ABC News).
Every KISS lover agrees that Frehley brought a sort of rock star attitude that the band and the fans needed. Writing songs is one thing, playing the guitar with just as much passion and intensity as the lyrics we hear in our beloved songs, is on a whole other level. Not to mention the hits “Shock Me” and “Talk to Me”, amongst a few more songs, written by the star guitarist himself, being absolute fan favorites.
From a young age, music has been his thing. From football playing to quickly making the conclusion that guitar playing trumps it all, TheatreRock taking over his mind might have been one of the best things to happen to America. Back when KISS didn’t have a name and none of the players knew how to work the makeup in a KISS fashion, Frehley acted as the glue for them. From the day he jammed at the KISS audition, he held that band together, named ‘the coolest player on stage’ by younger fans at the time.
Drugs did end up in his life at one point, even leading him to quit the band by 1982 and form his own…Frehley’s Comet came out with two albums, which didn’t take off very well. An MTV “Unplugged” special brought the band back together and led to a reunion tour in 1966. He quit again in 2002, assuming the band didn’t want him on anymore.
Frehley was going solo for a while now, still playing our favorite KISS hits.
The coolest, the most “rockstar” rockstar you can picture, the Starman, Ace Frehley will continue to live in all of our rock idol hearts.
