Investigators are trying to figure out what happened in the case of the death of Ace Frehley. The iconic KISS guitarist died at 74 years old on October 16.
According to TMZ, the examination of the body will include a toxicology report.
The brain bleeding resulted from a fall in a recording studio and Frehley was put on life support. immediately After a couple of weeks of treatment, the family decided to take him off the ventilator.
A spokesperson for the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office said that an autopsy was not performed.
The investigation is limited to an external examination of the body and a complete toxicology panel. The final cause of death will be decided in the next few weeks.
Frehley was, with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss, one of the founding members of KISS and he was through the 70s not only a major contributor to the band’s sound but also to their visual image which was their climb to success. The band, which later became famous for songs such as “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and “Rock and Roll All Nite,”, eventually turned into a global icon of glam rock.
He parted ways with KISS in 1982 due to disagreements within the band and his own addiction problems. Frehley came back for a 1996 reunion tour but was only there until 2002 when he decided to go solo again.
Before his death, Frehley’s team had assured fans he was recovering.
On September 25, a post on his official Instagram stated, “He is fine, but against his wishes, his doctor insists that he refrain from travel at this time.”
Days later, another message announced that he had “made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of his 2025 dates” due to ongoing medical issues.
We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley. 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… pic.twitter.com/y19anvZXbz
— KISS (@kiss) October 17, 2025
Family and Bandmates Mourn
In a statement shared after his death, Frehley’s family said they were “devastated and heartbroken.”
They wrote, “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.” The family added that his “memory will continue to live on forever.”
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley also expressed their grief in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “I am devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons said. “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.”
Originally published on Music Times
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