Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are mourning their late bandmate.
The KISS members shared a heartbreaking message after the group’s lead guitarist Ace Frehley died at age 74.
“I am devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons and Stanley—who played bass and sang lead vocals in the band, respectively—said in a joint statement to The Hollywood Reporter Oct. 16. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history.”
And the duo—who, along with Frehley and drummer Peter Crissformed the rock group in 1973—insisted that the late musician would “always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”
Closing out their message, Simmons and Stanley sent their condolences to Frehley’s daughter Monica Frehley and her mom, his ex Jeanette Trerotola.
The pair added, “My thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Frehley’s family announced his passing on Oct. 16, weeks after the instrumentalist canceled his remaining 2025 tour dates due to “ongoing medical issues.”
