Gene Simmons has shared an emotional and deeply personal account of learning about the death of former KISS bandmate Ace Frehley, recalling a moment he says was almost impossible to process.
Speaking during a recent appearance on the Mohr Stories podcast, hosted by comedian and actor Jay Mohr, the KISS bassist and co-founder was asked how he first learned of Frehley’s passing. Simmons responded (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “I was here in California, and I got a text from Gigi, Peter Criss‘s [original KISS drummer] wife, that Ace had passed. He fell down the stairs, apparently the second time, and they couldn’t… The short story is the hospital said, ‘He has to go.’ The family fought to keep him alive, but he didn’t last long. So Peter Criss, Paul Stanley [KISS guitarist/vocalist] and myself went and flew to the wake [in New York] and then the funeral. But I will tell you that no matter how emotional it was, the open casket was just too much. I just had to put my head down because he was right in front of — we were right there. And Ace looked like he was [gonna go], ‘Oh, just kidding,’ and get up and always be the fun guy he was.”
Looking back on the often turbulent history of KISS, Simmons reflected on the complicated but unbreakable bond between the band’s original members. Despite years of conflicts and lineup changes, he emphasized how essential Frehley was to the band’s very existence.
“Families have squabbles, Gene said. “Sometimes they don’t agree on stuff, sometimes they don’t talk to each other, but family is forever, and without Ace, and certainly without Peter, KISS wouldn’t have happened. There’s that chemistry thing.”
At the same time, Simmons did not shy away from discussing Frehley’s long struggles with addiction, describing them as a painful reality the band had wrestled with for decades.
“But what I’m getting at is despite the fame and the glory and the money and the chicks, all that stuff, there was something inside of Ace — originally it was alcohol — he just couldn’t stop,” Simmons revealed. “We all tried, and then it went on to this stuff and some of the heavier stuff, and he was just in and out of it, back and forth.”
When asked whether Frehley’s death was something he had feared for years, Simmons admitted that the warning signs were impossible to ignore: “Yes. When you see — when you witness, not see, when you’re in the company, when you witness self-destructive behavior, you start to imagine… I mean, there were so many car wrecks, so many — let’s just say lesser people would’ve died.”
He also addressed whether the band ever attempted formal interventions during Frehley’s time in KISS, explaining that attitudes toward such actions were very different decades ago.
“In those days it was unheard of. And once he was out of the band the third time, there were times when he’d move around to different states, different phone numbers, different girlfriends, and it was just… to separate. But we’d talk. Every once in a while we’d get on [the phone and go], ‘Hey, remember that time,’ and everything. What are you gonna do?”
The Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed that Frehley’s death resulted from blunt trauma injuries to his head following a fall, ruling it an accident. The official report noted multiple contusions and fractures at the back of his skull, along with hemorrhages and a subdural hematoma. Additional injuries included bruising on his hip, thigh, and abdomen, and the report also mentioned that Frehley had suffered a stroke.
Frehley played on some of KISS’s most legendary albums, including Kiss (1974), Destroyer (1976), Love Gun (1977), and Dynasty (1979), writing and performing classics like “Shock Me,” “Rocket Ride,” and “Talk to Me.” His 1978 self-titled solo album, featuring the hit single “New York Groove,” remains a fan favorite.
After leaving KISS in the early 1980s, Frehley continued a successful solo career with FREHLEY’S COMET and released a string of acclaimed albums, including Anomaly (2009) and 10,000 Volts (2024). He reunited with KISS for their 1996 reunion tour, thrilling fans worldwide and reaffirming his place as one of rock’s most influential guitarists.
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