KISS will leave a chair free for their late bandmate Ace Frehley's spirit when they enter the Kennedy Center Honors next month.
The veteran rockers are among the recipients of the prestigious award - which "recognises and celebrates individuals whose unique artistic contributions?have shaped?our world" - this year and will be inducted alongside the likes of stage star Michael Crawford, disco legend Gloria Gaynor, country musician George Strait and actor Sylvester Stallone at a ceremony on December 7.
Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley died of “blunt trauma injuries” to his head after an accidental fall, according to a report from the Morris County, New Jersey, medical examiner obtained by Rolling Stone.
According to the report, a CT scan of Frehley’s head revealed multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma (the type of bleeding that occurs in a person’s brain after a head injury). Additional bruises were found on the musician’s hip, thigh, and abdomen. The report also noted that Frehley had suffered a stroke.
After leaving Kiss, Frehley performed and recorded as a solo artist. He played his last concert on Sept. 5 in Providence, Rhode Island. Later that month, he canceled a show at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California, after suffering a fall at his home, and a month later, he pulled all of his remaining dates due to “ongoing medical issues.”
A funeral for Frehley was held on Oct. 23 in the Bronx. His friend, SiriusXM host Eddie Trunk, has said that he received permission from Frehley’s family to pursue a “tribute show/fan celebration at some point,” though no details have emerged yet.
The guitar hero suffered a fall at home last month, and earlier this month he cancelled the remainder of his 2025 tour due to ongoing medical issues.
"I wanted to call the group Fuck," Frehley, who adopted the persona of 'The Spaceman' when Kiss chose their make-up and costumes, said. "But Paul thought Kiss was better suited for the press and we agreed. I came up with the idea for the Kiss logo with a felt tip. Paul cleaned up my artwork with a rapidograph pen – he always had steadier hands."
As the iconic Spaceman (or Space Ace), Ace co-founded KISS alongside Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss in 1973, departing in the early ’80s to embark on a solo career. He would return for the original line-up reunion in 1996 and stay until 2002.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” write KISS in a social media tribute. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
