Ace Frehley, a founding member of KISS who played fiery lead guitar during the band's 1970s heyday, has died. He was 74.

Frehley died Thursday surrounded by family in Morristown, N.J., following a recent fall at his home. Citing "ongoing medical issues," Frehley had recently canceled all of his 2025 tour dates.

"We are completely devastated and heartbroken," his family said in a statement. "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."

Known as the Spaceman or Space Ace, the Bronx-born musician wrote the KISS classics "Cold Gin" and "Shock Me" and had a top 40 hit as a solo artist with 1978's "New York Groove."

He became known for virtuosic solos infused with bluesy grit and hard rock bite, inspiring future stars such as Slash, Tom Morello, John 5, and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.

"My style is unorthodox because I never took guitar lessons," he once told Classic Rock. "I play differently to how a schooled musician would. If it sounds good, do it. That's always been my motto. That's rock 'n' roll."

Born in 1951 as Paul Frehley, he grew up in a musical family. Both of his parents and two older siblings played piano and he sang in the church choir. Crucially, Frehley also picked up a guitar at age 13, modeling himself after Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page.

He started playing in local bands while still in high school and was a roadie for Hendrix at age 18. Frehley credited the guitar for protecting him after he joined a gang as a teenager.

"At the same time I was trying to get away from the gang, I was playing in bands so I could use that as an excuse on the weekends when the gang was going out to do something," he told Goldmine. "I said, 'I can't, I have a gig.'"

Frehley recorded a demo for RCA Records in 1971 with the group Molimo, but helped start KISS in 1973 and immediately found his place. As a guitarist, his blues-rooted approach complemented Paul Stanley's glammy rhythmic boogie, creating electric friction that propelled the band. His guitar solos on 1975's Alive!, particularly the thunderous fan-favorite "She," helped make the album a classic.

Although he was never the band's primary songwriter, Frehley did have songwriting credits on the beloved records that helped KISS become superstars, notably 1974's Hotter Than Hell ("Parasite") and 1975's Dressed to Kill ("Getaway"). Later, he took lead vocals on a 1979 cover of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Man" and 1980's "Talk To Me"; the latter was a hit outside of the U.S.

Frehley last appeared on a KISS album as a full-fledged member on 1982's Creatures of the Night, but rejoined the band for a well-received 1996 reunion tour and stayed with the group through a performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

In addition to "New York Groove," which appeared on his 1978 self-titled solo debut, Frehley enjoyed plenty of success outside of KISS. After fronting the band Frehley's Comet during the 1980s, he began releasing a string of well-received solo albums throughout the 2010s. In fact, he became the first member of KISS to reach the top 10 of the Billboard 200 as a solo artist with 2014's Space Invader. 

These albums revealed remarkable consistency: Although Frehley dabbled in stoner rock and grungier fare, bluesy hard rock was always his north star.

"I'm 72 years old and still sound like I did in the '70s," he told Guitar World in early 2024. "I get a kick out of the fact that I can do this like I did then. Some will say the fact that my playing hasn't evolved is a problem, but I'd say that's bulls***."

Frehley remained an active presence on the road as a solo artist and was reportedly working on a new solo album at the time of his death.

Over the years, Frehley collaborated with his KISS bandmates on various solo tracks, but didn't appear at the band's final show in December 2023. In recent months, he also told Guitar World that he had declined to appear at the forthcoming Kiss Kruise: Land-Locked In Vegas event.

Even still, he was always deeply proud of his work with the band — and never closed the door on future KISS activities.

"I'm the kind of guy that never says never," he told the outlet. "I don't hate Paul or Gene, you know? We're rock and roll brothers, and Peter, too. So, anything can happen."

Copyright 2025, NPR