Who replaced Ace Frehley in KISS? Reasons and history behind iconic guitarist's departure explored

Kiss band member Ace Frehley died from unknown causes on October 16, 2025, aged 74. The musician’s family revealed the news through a statement on Instagram.

Despite contributing as a guitarist and vocalist to the rock band, Frehley was known for his history of leaving the group twice for certain reasons. Mark St. John was the first artist to take his position in the initial exit, followed by Tommy Thayer when Ace left the group more than 15 years ago.

The latest post shared on Ace Frehley’s social media handle revealed that he passed away in his Morristown, New Jersey-based residence. Furthermore, the founding member of the band was surrounded by his family members during that period.

“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 statement reads.

Earlier this month, Frehley announced through Instagram that he would cancel his upcoming shows due to ongoing medical problems. In September, he was instructed by the doctors to avoid traveling after being hospitalized due to a fall in the studio. The details were also mentioned in a social media post, which has now been deleted.

Although a cause of death was not revealed, a report by TMZ on Thursday stated that Ace was on a ventilator and the fall in the studio resulted in a brain bleed. However, his situation did not improve before his sudden death.

Ace Frehley exited Kiss twice over the years: Reasons and other details explained

The Morristown, New Jersey, native became a popular face due to his association with Kiss for a long time. He even spoke about it on a few occasions, opening up on the circumstances leading to the exits.

According to Variety, Ace Frehley left the band due to his problems with substance abuse and the group’s musical direction. In February 2024, the artist appeared on the podcast Talk Is Jericho, recalling everything about his first exit.

Ace said that when he initially decided in 1981, he went for lunch with Paul Stanley, who requested that he stay with the group.

“I had made up my mind after the success of my solo album that I was much more creative away from them than with them. So I really felt that I needed to go out on my own. It was a stupid decision when I look back now cause I lost millions of dollars,” Ace said.

Ace Frehley also claimed that, although the band was doing well musically, the show created some issues for him. He referred to the makeup used by the band members, saying that he was tired of using it every time. Ace reportedly started suffering from allergic reactions due to the silver, an important part of the makeup.

In 2015, Ace also admitted on the Today show that the exit happened due to substance abuse. Although Frehley returned to the group at one point, he performed for the final time in 2000. During a conversation with rock writer Gary Graff at the Oakland Press, Ace said that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were workaholics during that period, which was unacceptable to him.

“They wanted to tour constantly and record constantly, over-merchandise the brand, and that made me crazy. I’m not a kid any more. Touring constantly can be very exhausting. I don’t want to put myself in that position, so I’m happier with what I’m doing now,” Frehley said.

Apart from playing with Kiss, Ace Frehley also released several solo projects, including Anomaly, Space Invader, Spaceman and others. He was even featured in some films like Detroit Rock City and Remedy.