Guitarist Ace Frehley, KISS’s original lead guitarist, has passed away at home after a fall.
Guitarist and song-writer Ace Frehley, best known as one of the founding members of KISS, died today after spending several weeks in a hospital. TMZ reported earlier today that Frehley was on life support and didn’t seem to be improving.
Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist for KISS, is hospitalized on life support, and the prognosis is not good . TMZ has learned.
Sources familiar with Ace’s situation tell us . he suffered a brain bleed when he took a fall in his studio a couple weeks ago — forcing him to cancel his upcoming tour dates — but his health has not improved.
We’re told he’s been on a ventilator for some time, and hasn’t gotten better — so, his family is considering turning off support . perhaps as soon as Thursday evening.
A short time ago his death was confirmed by his family who gave a statement to Variety.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. In his last moments, we were fortunate enough to have been able to surround him with loving, caring, peaceful words, thoughts, prayers and intentions as he left this earth. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”
Variety has a pretty good summary of how Frehley got involved with the band that made him a star.
Citing Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and the Who as his primary influences, he began playing in bands as a teenager and purportedly acquired his nickname from friends based on his ability to score dates with girls.
He dropped out of high school after one of his bands, Cathedral, began earning money, but later returned and got his diploma. He continued playing and by 1971, one of his bands, Molimo, signed with RCA Records and recorded several unreleased songs for the label. But late the following year, a friend spotted an advertisement in the Village Voice that turned out to be for the lead guitar slot in the embryonic Kiss. Famously, Frehley went to the audition in Manhattan wearing one red sneaker and one orange one. Stanley, Simmons and Criss were dismayed by his appearance but sufficiently impressed with his fiery lead guitar work, and he was invited to join a few weeks later. The band, which was preceded by Stanley and Simmons’ previous group Wicked Lester, dubbed themselves Kiss in January 1973 and soon, inspired by the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper, began painting their faces and crafting outrageous costumes for their concerts.
The band released its self-titled debut album in February of [1974], which featured some future favorites like “Firehouse,” “Black Diamond” and Frehley’s composition “Cold Gin,” that album and the follow-ups “Hotter Than Hell” and “Dressed to Kill,” were only minor successes.
