Ace Frehley a guitarist with the iconic 1970s rock band, KISS, died Thursday, Oct. 16, leaving behind a long legacy in the rock ‘n’ roll world and memories among thousands of Michigan fans.
Frehley, 74, otherwise known as “Spaceman” when he played with KISS, passed away in Morristown, New Jersey, peacefully amongst family, due to health complications after taking a fall in his studio, according to USA TODAY.
He had been scheduled to perform at the Token Lounge in Westland on Halloween — a show that has now been canceled.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” KISS said in a statement posted to their website. “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’ legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Frehley joined the theatrical rock ‘n’ roll band in 1973, alongside guitarist and vocalist Paul Stanley, bass player and vocalist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Frehley left the band in 1982, rejoined later and left again in the 2000s.
KISS toured Michigan throughout the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s and into the 2000s. Their most recent concert was on Oct. 19, 2023, at the Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit during the band’s global farewell tour.
KISS developed a deep bond with Michigan fans — hence, the song Detroit Rock City off their “Destroyer” LP in 1976 — especially after their surprise concert at Cadillac High School in Wexford County on Oct. 9, 1975.
“Local officials presented KISS with a key to the city, while fans paved the way for the band in a KISS-costumed street parade,” the Cadillac KISStory Tour Facebook page noted on Oct. 10.
The Cadillac concert made rock history in Michigan, and has been celebrated annually from Oct. 9-12. This year marked the 50th anniversary.
As rock ‘n’ roll fans memorialize Frehley and his contributions to music, here’s more on KISS in Michigan:
KISS supported the Cadillac High School Vikings
In 1973, the Cadillac High School Vikings finished 9-0. The following year they started 0-2 and were struggling. To pick up the energy, the Vikings’ assistant coach played KISS in the lockerroom ahead of their next game.
“The results were immediate. The Vikings won seven straight games, finished 7-2, and their stingy defense became known as the ‘KISS Defense,'” according to KISS’s official website.
Due to the team’s revival, the assistant coach wrote to KISS twice sharing their story, and KISS responded in a manner small town Cadillac did not anticipate.
“To his surprise, management and Casablanca founder Neil Bogart responded, and in October 9th of 1975, the unbelievable happened: KISS came to Cadillac High School and played a homecoming concert in the high school gym,” the website says.
Prinicipal John Laurent approved the visit, despite parental pushback. Teachers helped apply KISS makeup in the cafeteria. The mayor proclaimed “KISS Day.” Mitchell Street was temporarily renamed “KISS Boulevard.”
Students and teachers prepared for the band’s arrival with the band’s legendary black-and-white face paint, and the city was soon engulfed in rock ‘n’ roll mania.
KISS played a set of songs in the high school gym for homecoming, including “Deuce,” “Strutter,” “Hotter Than Hell,” “100,000 Years” and “Black Diamond,” according to the KISS website.
Laurent asked Simmons not to spit blood, and he honored the request, but promised a “hell of a concert.” The result was still deafening — according to rumors, the sound carried 2 miles from the gym, the KISS website says.
“That afternoon (Oct. 10), a helicopter landed on the football field to whisk KISS away. As it rose, the band dropped leaflets reading: ‘Cadillac High — KISS Loves You,'” the website notes.
There’s even a documentary about the homecoming concert available online.
What’s the story behind ‘Detroit Rock City’?
According to American Songwriter, the track originally was written as an ode to the Detroit music scene, but producer Bob Ezrin later helped Paul Stanley make it more complex.
The lyrics from “Detroit Rock City” tell the story of a young fan who was killed in a crash on their way to a KISS concert.
“There had been an accident outside of an arena in Charlotte,” Stanley said in a 2016 MLive story. “Someone was killed coming to the concert. I thought, how odd and how striking and the juxtaposition of someone coming to a Kiss concert, which celebrates being alive, to lose your life. That was the twist of Detroit Rock City. To change it from a song about your amazing city to something much more epic.”
Who was Ace Frehley?
Frehley, born in the Bronx, in New York City, had a lengthy and eventful musical career. After responding to a newspaper ad, Frehley become the fourth member of KISS in 1973, according to IMDb and Acefrehley.com. He left in 1982 to embark on his solo career, founding a band called Frehleys Comet.
The original KISS members reunited in 1995 that set off a reunion tour, “Kiss/Alive Worldwide,” but in 2002 Frehley left again after drummer Peter Criss departed in 2001.
Frehley received an electric guitar at age 14 and was influenced by The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, according to IMDb.
In 2014, Frehley was inducted by Tom Morello into the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the original KISS band members. He made guest appearances with KISS in 1995 and 2018.
How many times did KISS play in Michigan?
KISS toured across Michigan many times, according to Kissconcerthistroy.com, a fan website that lists days and arenas at which KISS played around in the U.S. KISS concerts in Michigan from 1974-2000 include:
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1983
1984
1985
1986
1988
1990
1992
1995
1996
1997
1998
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ace Frehley, KISS guitarist, dies at 74. Planned Michigan Halloween show canceled
Reporting by Sarah Moore, Lansing State Journal / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
