Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley died of “blunt trauma injuries” to his head after an accidental fall, according to a report from the Morris County, New Jersey Medical Examiner obtained by Rolling Stone.
The guitarist, born Paul Frehley, died in Morristown, New Jersey, last month at the age of 74. At the time, a rep attributed his death to a “recent fall at his home,” though a specific cause of death was not immediately given.
According to the report, a CT scan of Frehley’s head revealed multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma (the type of bleeding that occurs in a person’s brain after a head injury). Additional bruises were found on the musician’s hip, thigh, and abdomen. The report also noted that Frehley had suffered a stroke.
According to TMZ, Frehley was put on life support after his fall, and he died after his family made the decision to turn off his ventilator. The medical examiner’s report noted that doctors attempted a hemicraniectomy on Frehlehy, a procedure aimed at potentially alleviating the hematoma.
Frehley was part of Kiss from their earliest shows in 1973 up until 1982, when he left due to substance abuse issues and creative differences (he clashed frequently with bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley). He did rejoin Kiss for the band’s massive 1996 reunion tour, but left again in 2002. All four original members of Kiss took the stage at their 2014 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and the last time they performed together was in 2018. Frehley was set to attend this year’s Kennedy Center Honors, where Kiss were being recognized.
“No one can touch Ace’s legacy,” Simmons wrote after the guitarist’s death. “I know he loved the fans. He told me many times… Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!”
After leaving Kiss, Frehley performed and recorded as a solo artist. He played his last concert on Sept. 5 in Providence, Rhode Island. Later that month, he canceled a show at the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California, after suffering a fall at his home, and a month later, he pulled all of his remaining dates due to “ongoing medical issues.”
A funeral for Frehley was held on Oct. 23 in the Bronx. His friend, SiriusXM host Eddie Trunk, has said that he received permission from Frehley’s family to “pursue a “tribute show/fan celebration at some point,” though no details have emerged yet.
