Founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley died on October 16. That evening, his family made the heartbreaking decision to remove the rock legend from life support. Before he died, Frehley canceled multiple concerts, citing ongoing health issues. However, his camp kept details private, offering vague statements. Earlier today (November 10), his official cause of death was released.
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TMZ obtained the medical examiner’s official report. It revealed that blunt trauma to the head caused Frehley’s death. The impact caused a fracture to the back of his skull along with a subdural hematoma, which means blood had collected between the brain and the protective membrane surrounding it. Additionally, the rock icon suffered a stroke. Foul play is not suspected. Instead, the cause of the fracture and hematoma is officially considered accidental.
[RELATED: Death of KISS Guitarist Ace Frehley Under Official Investigation]
A Possible Timeline of Ace Frehley’s Final Weeks
On September 25, Ace Frehley’s camp took to his social media accounts to announce the cancellation of a show in California. At the time, they revealed that he fell in his studio while working on an upcoming solo album. Then, roughly two weeks later, on October 6, he canceled the remainder of his 2025 tour dates. At the time, they cited “ongoing medical issues.”
Finally, ten days later, on October 16, news broke that Frehley was on life support and his family was battling with the decision to turn off his ventilator. They made the hard decision later that day.
It seems that Frehley’s studio fall was more serious than many fans were led to believe. According to the TMZ report, he was hospitalized with a brain bleed after falling in late September. While his family and management have continued to keep details private, it appears that he didn’t leave the hospital between September 25 and October 16.
Ace Frehley was laid to rest in a private ceremony in Yonkers, New York. His former bandmates, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Paul Stanley attended.
Featured Image by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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