Gene Simmons is addressing the loss of his longtime KISS bandmate Ace Frehley, weeks after his comments about the guitarist’s death sparked backlash.
During an appearance on Jay Mohr’s Mohr Stories podcast on December 16, Simmons described learning of Frehley’s death in blunt, emotional terms. “I was here in California, and I got a text from Gigi, Peter Criss's [original KISS drummer] wife, that Ace had passed,” he said.
Simmons, 76, went on to describe attending the wake and funeral with Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, admitting the open casket was overwhelming. “The open casket was just too much,” he said. “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."
Despite decades of tension within the band, Simmons emphasized Frehley’s essential role in KISS’s legacy. “Families have squabbles,” he noted, adding that without Ace—and Peter—“KISS wouldn't have happened.” He credited Frehley’s influence on generations of musicians, pointing out that other iconic guitarists grew up copying his solos note for note.
READ MORE: KISS Honors Late Guitarist Ace Frehley in First Performance Since His Death
Simmons didn’t shy away from addressing Frehley’s struggles, acknowledging years of self-destructive behavior. “There was something inside of Ace—originally it was alcohol—he just couldn't stop. 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. And then he finally passed younger than I am,” Simmons recalled. “He was always Ace. And that's the way he chose to live his life.”
Earlier this month, Simmons publicly apologized for comments suggesting Frehley’s death stemmed from “bad decisions,” writing on X: “On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used. I humbly apologize… I've always loved Ace. Always.”
Frehley, who co-founded KISS in 1973 and helped define the band’s larger-than-life identity, died on October 16 at age 74. According to the Morris County Medical Examiner, his death was ruled an accident caused by blunt-force trauma to the head after a fall. The report noted that Frehley suffered multiple contusions, skull fractures, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma, and that he had also experienced a stroke. He reportedly died nearly two weeks after a second fall at his New Jersey home, during which he was placed on life support before his family made the decision to remove the ventilator. He was laid to rest in New York following a private memorial.
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