The rock world is mourning the death of Kiss co-founder and legendary lead guitarist Paul Daniel “Ace” Frehley. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer died after sustaining injuries in a fall last month, his family confirmed Thursday, sparking an outpouring of grief across the music community.
In a statement, Frehley’s bandmates, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons said: “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.”
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready penned a remembrance shared via Pearl Jam’s official social media accounts. In his post, McCready credits Frehley and Kiss for influencing him to pick up a guitar.
Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenan, paid his respects on Instagram with an edited childhood photo of himself wearing Frehley’s iconic makeup. “Godspeed, Ace,” Keenan captioned the post.
Frehley was set to be honored by The Kennedy Center on Dec. 7, with the ceremony slated to air on CBS on Dec. 23. The Kennedy Center tweeted on Thursday: “We will be paying tribute to this “rock soldier”, his work, and his legacy at our ceremony in December.”
Simmons also addressed the Frehley posthumously receiving the Kennedy Center’s Honor on his personal X account writing, “Sadder still, Ace didn’t live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!”
See more tributes below.
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