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Frehley, Ace

Ace Frehley, Original Lead Guitarist and Founding Member of KISS, Dies at 74

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

KISS, the iconic glam rock band known for its elaborate stage shows and hits like "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "I Was Made for Lovin' You," has lost its original lead guitarist and founding member, Ace Frehley, who died peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall. He was 74 years old. Frehley's family released a statement expressing their "complete devastation" and "heartbreak" at his passing, but shared memories of his kindness and the joy he brought to others.

Key Takeaways:

  • Ace Frehley was a founding member of KISS and played with the band during some of its most formative years, including the mid-1970s when the band sold tens of millions of albums and became a marketing marvel.
  • Frehley is credited with experimenting with pyrotechnics on stage, making his guitars glow, emit smoke, and shoot rockets from the headstock, and was known for his elaborate galactic makeup and smoking guitar.
  • Frehley's feud with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons was well-documented, and he left the band multiple times before rejoining in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion.
  • Frehley's influence on the glam metal style of the 1980s, including bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison, was significant, and he was also a fan favorite among harder-edged bands like Metallica and Pantera.
  • Frehley's solo work and his band, Frehley's Comet, had a dedicated following, and he released several albums throughout his career.
  • KISS has sold their catalog, brand name, and intellectual property to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group in a deal estimated to be over $300 million.

Statistics:

  • Ace Frehley was 74 years old at the time of his death.
  • KISS sold tens of millions of albums during the mid-1970s.
  • The band's biggest commercial hit in the US was "Beth," which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976.
  • KISS was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, but a dispute with Simmons and Stanley scrapped plans for them to perform with the original lineup.
  • The sale of KISS's catalog, brand name, and intellectual property to Pophouse Entertainment Group is estimated to be over $300 million.

Sources:

  • Associated Press article dated 14 April 2023
  • Rolling Stone magazine, dated 2014
  • Instagram post by Poison frontman Bret Michaels
  • KISS's official website
  • Pophouse Entertainment Group's official statement
  • Billboard Top 100 chart, 1976

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