Last month, the rock world sadly mourned the passing of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. The 74-year-old rocker had been steadily recording and touring up until the final weeks of his life.
Frehley’s longtime friend and SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk previously shared details that the influential rocker suffered a “catastrophic” fall at his home, and TMZ has now confirmed that the official cause of his death came as result of a blunt trauma to his head. TMZ wrote: “According to the Morris County, New Jersey Medical Examiner’s report … Ace suffered a fracture to the back of his skull, a subdural hematoma — a collection of blood formed between the brain’s protective outer layer and the brain itself — and a stroke. His manner of death was ruled an accident.”
Frehley and KISS were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. There was a monumental outpouring of tributes since news of his passing spread. KISS issued a statement saying: “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.”
The current version of KISS featuring original members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons along with drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer are set for their first shows since the end of their farewell tour in 2023. The group will perform sans makeup at this weekend’s “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” event, and it’s fair to say there will be plenty of tributes to Frehley in the course of the 3-day “ultimate KISS weekend.”
