KISS members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss come together for a special reunion at Ace Frehley’s memorial service

KISS Members Reunite to Honor Ace Frehley

Founding members of KISS—Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss—came together recently to pay their respects to their late bandmate, Ace Frehley.

The gathering took place in the Bronx, New York, where the trio said their final goodbyes to the iconic guitarist, as shared by Eddie Trunk, a longtime friend of the band. He posted images on Instagram, capturing the solemn moment.

“It’s been an emotional few days, to say the least, as we bid farewell to our rock icon and longtime friend,” Trunk wrote alongside a memorial card that read, “In loving memory of Paul ‘Ace’ D. Frehley.”

Frehley was laid to rest in New York, and Trunk noted that the services were attended by a small group of close friends and family, including the three surviving original members of KISS.

The last time Frehley was seen publicly with his bandmates was during the 29th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2014. The original band formed KISS back in 1973 and reunited several times over the years, although Criss left in 1980 and Frehley in 1982. Notably, Frehley returned for a reunion tour from 1996 to 2002.

Frehley had his share of ups and downs with the band. He mentioned in interviews that his contentious relationship with Simmons and Stanley stemmed from misunderstandings. He felt that people misrepresented his departures, stating, “They still say in interviews that they fired me, but I was never fired from KISS. I hate hearing that.”

He admitted that he was uncomfortable with the musical shift from the 1970s to the 1980s, which played a role in his exit from the band.

Despite their differences, Frehley and Criss managed to reunite for KISS’s Alive/Worldwide Reunion Tour in the late ’90s. They later collaborated on various projects, including a benefit concert in Minnesota and a special performance in Los Angeles. Yet, both Frehley and Criss chose not to join Simmons and Stanley during KISS’s final End of the Road World Tour, scheduled for December 2024 at Madison Square Garden.

Following Frehley’s passing, Stanley and Simmons expressed their grief in a heartfelt statement, recognizing him as an integral part of KISS’s legacy, stating, “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock warrior during the most formative and foundational period of the band.”

A few weeks before he died on October 16 at the age of 74, Frehley suffered a brain hemorrhage after a fall in the studio. Before his death, a message shared on his Instagram indicated he was advised against traveling due to his health. He had already canceled the remaining dates of his tour due to ongoing medical issues.