The Real Reason Ace Frehley Quit KISS

Ace Frehley is gone, and even in the way the news hit, it felt like Ace: loud, messy, and still somehow unmistakably rock and roll. The KISS guitarist died at 74 on October 16 in Morristown, New Jersey, and the story around his final days and his final reunion with the band is equal parts celebration and complication.

That last reunion: the 2014 Hall of Fame night that almost didn’t happen

Frehley did get back onstage with his old bandmates one last time at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in 2014. Calling it smooth would be generous. According to RadarOnline, tensions were still raw, and Ace and fellow original member Peter Criss came in with a very specific condition: if they were going to perform, they wanted the full look back — the leather and the black-and-white face paint.

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were fine with the idea of the originals playing, but Stanley reportedly shut down the makeup idea hard, making it clear that era was over. Ace and Peter threatened to bail. In the end, all four showed up, nobody wore the classic getups, and none of them performed. There was at least a public thaw: Stanley and Criss hugged, and Simmons cracked a line that actually landed.

"I'm here to say a few words about the four knuckleheads who, 40 years ago, got together and decided to put together the kind of band we never saw onstage, critics be damned."

For context on why things were still prickly: Ace and Peter were pushed out in the early 80s and stayed estranged for years, taking shots at each other in public. Stanley later wrote in his memoir that problems like substance abuse and even antisemitism allegations were part of why they were let go. That's a heavy accusation, and to be clear, that's Stanley's account in his book.

Ace, post-KISS and back again

After leaving KISS in 1982, Ace formed Frehley's Comet, put out two albums with that band, then pivoted to solo work. He returned to KISS in 1996 for the big reunion era, toured, and stuck around until 2002.

His final weeks

In September, Frehley canceled the rest of his tour dates, citing ongoing health issues. TMZ reported that he fell in his home studio on September 25, 2025, suffered a brain bleed, and was hospitalized on a ventilator and life support. Yes, that date is odd given the October 16 passing — it reads like a typo in the reporting, but that's how it was listed. TMZ also said the family was considering removing life support; hours later, news broke that Ace had died at 74.

His family shared a statement carried by People:

"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."

What his bandmates said

Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons released a joint statement reported by USA Today, calling Ace "an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history." Peter Criss shared his own tribute, saying Frehley "influenced and touched the hearts of millions of people."

Quick timeline

• 1982: Ace exits KISS.
• Mid-80s: Launches Frehley's Comet; releases two albums.
• 1996: Rejoins KISS for the reunion era.
• 2002: Leaves KISS again.
• 2014: All four originals appear at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; no makeup, no performance.
• September (this year): Cancels remaining tour dates due to medical issues.
• September 25, 2025: TMZ reports a fall, a brain bleed, and hospitalization on life support.
• October 16: Frehley dies at 74 in Morristown, New Jersey.

It's a very KISS ending for the Spaceman: the legacy is undeniable, the relationships were complicated, and the image was still a sticking point decades later. However you feel about the makeup or the feuds, the music — and that larger-than-life guitar tone — is what stuck. Rest easy, Ace.