During a recent appearance on Podcast Rock City, original KISS drummer Peter Criss opened up about missing his longtime bandmate Ace Frehley and the dream of recording an album together.
Criss reflected on being among the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees, a ceremony that took place in the Oval Office on December 6 and included U.S. president Donald Trump presenting the medals. “It was a dream. I could not believe this kid from the streets of Brooklyn who grew up in four rooms with seven people is standing in the Oval Office. It was surreal. The worst thing was [original KISS guitarist] Ace [Frehley] wasn’t there.
“I really miss him dearly. We were very close. But his daughter was there, and his wife Jeanette, who’s a little kind of ill, but she was there, and [his daughter] Monique was there. And what touched me about it the most was the president got up from the desk and walked around and gave Jeanette a hug in her wheelchair, and then gave Monique a big hug and put the medal on her. That brought tears to my eyes. I miss him dearly. There’s a big loss without Ace.”
Later in the interview, Criss expressed his regret that he and Ace never had the chance to collaborate musically after KISS. “That was a dream of mine, that him and I would do an album together,” he said. “I’m sorry that never happened. And Ace did more solo albums than any of us in [KISS]. He’s done, like, 10, easily, solo albums, more than us. He was working on his new album before his tragic accident, and he was getting ready to go on another tour. He was 74. God bless him. And there’ll never be another.”
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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