Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has died

In late September, co-founding member and lead guitarist of rock legends Kiss, Ace Frehley, canceled tour dates after having a minor fall in his studio.

On October 16, it was announced in Variety that he had passed away after spending time on life support with a brain bleed.

The musician’s family issued the following statement:

“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. 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. We cherish all of his finest memories, his laughter, and celebrate his strengths and kindness that he bestowed upon others. The magnitude of his passing is of epic proportions, and beyond comprehension. Reflecting on all of his incredible life achievements, Ace’s memory will continue to live on forever!”

Surely, fans won’t let him become a distant memory anytime soon. They’ll be taking to the internet in droves to post pictures, thoughts and memories, undoubtedly.

Frehley released a memoir in 2011 titled “No Regrets,” and Phoenix New Times spoke with him about some of the topics he opened up about in the book, including sobriety, where he stated, “Yeah, I mean. I think I have a lot of interesting stories, because I was one of the craziest guys in the band. I think people find it interesting. Someone said to me, ‘Why No Regrets?’ I think it’s a perfect title, but I don’t think the title would work if I wasn’t clean and sober. If I was still a mess, still getting in trouble with the law, and you know, drugs and alcohol, the title wouldn’t make any sense. But I’ve put five years together of sobriety, and it’s changed my life. I’ve got a new album, a new book, touring. The sky’s the limit at this point. I’d love to score a film, act in some more films, maybe do some television.”

The band started in New York in 1973 and developed a loyal legion of fans with their mix of glam and shock-rock, complete with, of course, painted faces, as well as flashy costumes and stage shows that boasted pyrotechnics and fire-breathing. They inspired the official fan group, The KISS Army, which has unleashed a ton of collectible merch over the years.