KISS Legend Gene Simmons Blames Ace Frehley’s Downfall on ‘Bad Decisions’
KISS frontman Gene Simmons has made striking allegations regarding bandmate Ace Frehley’s death, asserting that “bad decisions” contributed to the tragedy.
Simmons attributed his longtime friend’s passing to what he described as a pattern of poor choices, criticizing Frehley’s past substance abuse and implying it played a role in the guitarist’s fatal fall down the stairs of his home studio in Morristown, New Jersey.
“He refused [advice] from people who cared about him — including yours truly — to try to change his lifestyle. In and out of bad decisions. Falling down the stairs — I’m not a doctor — doesn’t kill you. There may have been other issues, and it breaks my heart,” Simmons told the New York Post on Sunday.
“The saddest thing — you reap what you shall sow, unfortunately,” the 76-year-old added, noting Frehley’s struggles with alcoholism earlier in life. Frehley, however, had reportedly been sober for two decades before his death.
Simmons also spoke about the private funeral service held for the guitarist on October 22.
“It breaks my heart. Peter Criss, our founding drummer, Paul [Stanley] and myself went to the funeral, open casket,” he said, describing the experience as both “heartbreaking” and “sad.”
He added that one of the most painful aspects was knowing Frehley “couldn’t stay alive long enough to sit there proudly at the Kennedy Center” and hear influential figures speak about how much KISS meant to them. “What can you say — sad.”
The surviving KISS members — Simmons, Criss, and Stanley — reunited briefly when they traveled to Washington, DC, on Saturday to accept a Kennedy Center Honor.
Frehley died on October 16 at age 74 from a blunt-force head injury sustained in a fall. His autopsy revealed a skull fracture, brain bleed, and stroke. He was placed on life support and underwent a medical procedure that ultimately failed, leading his family to withdraw life-sustaining treatment. His death was ruled accidental.
After the family confirmed his passing, Simmons and Paul Stanley issued a statement to Page Six: “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 part of KISS’s legacy. Our thoughts are with [his estranged wife] Jeanette, [daughter] Monique, and all who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Following the funeral, Simmons told People that he carries “regrets,” particularly that he wishes he had been “smarter and better at trying to help Ace and Peter have better lives.”
He admitted that bandmates were often “guilty” of avoiding difficult conversations to prevent conflict, saying, “Let’s just continue doing the tour because you want to get through it for selfish reasons because it’s working, and the chicks, and the money, and you don’t want to ruin anything.”
“Meantime, somebody who might be your brother is ruining their life by bad decisions.”
Frehley was part of KISS from its founding in 1973 until his departure in 1982. He later returned in 1996 and remained with the band until leaving again in 2002.
This article originally appeared in Page Six and is republished here with permission.