GENE SIMMONS Says Seeing ACE FREHLEY In An Open Casket Was Heartbreaking: 'I Just Had To Put My Head Down'

During a recent appearance on the "Mohr Stories" podcast, hosted by comedian and actor Jay Mohr, Gene Simmons was asked how he found out about the passing of his longtime KISS bandmate Ace Frehley. Gene responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was here in California, and I got a text from Gigi, Peter Criss's [original KISS drummer] wife, that Ace had passed. He fell down the stairs, apparently the second time, and they couldn't… The short story is the hospital said, 'He has to go.' The family fought to keep him alive, but he didn't last long. So Peter Criss, Paul Stanley [KISS guitarist/vocalist] and myself went and flew to the wake [in New York] and then the funeral. But I will tell you that no matter how emotional it was, the open casket was just too much. I just had to put my head down because he was right in front of — we were right there. And Ace looked like he was [gonna go], 'Oh, just kidding,' and get up and always be the fun guy he was."

Reflecting on some of the most turbulent moments in KISS's history, Gene said: "Families have squabbles. Sometimes they don't agree on stuff, sometimes they don't talk to each other, but family is forever, and without Ace, and certainly without Peter, KISS wouldn't have happened. There's that chemistry thing. Despite the fact that they were in and out of the band three separate times, what I can say about Ace, whether you like it or not, is almost every guitar player out there grew up playing his licks. Kirk Hammett from METALLICA and Mike McCready [PEARL JAM] literally copied his solo note for note… He told me. I said, 'Yeah, that's note [for note].' NINE INCH NAILS, you name the bands, they all grew [up on KISS]. I've got a photo of Lenny Kravitz at 13 being thrown out of school for wearing KISS makeup. But what I'm getting at is despite the fame and the glory and the money and the chicks, all that stuff, there was something inside of Ace — originally it was alcohol — he just couldn't stop. We all tried, and then it went on to this stuff and some of the heavier stuff, and he was just in and out of it, back and forth. And then he finally passed younger than I am. And maybe the only thing you can say is he lived his life his way all the way to the end, and people tried to either change him, but he was always Ace. And that's the way he chose to live his life."

Simmons added: "The saddest part of all, for me, other than his passing, is we're about to be honored by the president of the country [at the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors], and we're gonna have an a seat right between us that's gonna be empty and hopefully Ace is gonna be looking out. 'Wow, we did some cool stuff, right? Didn't we?' He should have at least stayed alive just that long, to be there with his family and stuff. It's heartbreaking. What are you gonna do?"

Asked if the call informing him of Ace's death is one that he was, in the back of his mind, expecting for a long time, Gene responded: "Yes. When you see — when you witness, not see, when you're in the company, when you witness self-destructive behavior, you start to imagine… I mean, there were so many car wrecks, so many — let's just say lesser people would've died."

Pressed about whether he and the other members of KISS had interventions for Ace while he was still in the band, Gene said: "In those days it was unheard of. And once he was out of the band the third time, there were times when he'd move around to different states, different phone numbers, different girlfriends, and it was just… to separate. But we'd talk. Every once in a while we'd get on [the phone and go], 'Hey, remember that time,' and everything. What are you gonna do?"

Acknowledging Frehley's role in KISS's rise to fame and the band's cultural impact, Simmons added: "We were four knuckleheads off the streets of New York without a resume, no expertise, no experience, who had this bizarre notion of putting together a band that we'd never seen before. Why can't you be on stage and spit fire, or have rockets come out of your guitars or fly through the air? …  So we had this kind of singularity, this moment of, 'Wait a minute. They're gonna come hear the songs, but they're bringing their eyes. Give them something audiovisual. Give them something to look at.'"

Earlier this month, Gene said that he was sorry for suggesting that Ace's death may have been caused by "bad decisions".

Simmons made headlines after he alleged that Frehley's "lifestyle" contributed to a fall at the guitarist's New Jersey home, which ultimately caused his October 16 death at age 74. A couple of days later, Gene apologized, writing on X: "On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used. I humbly apologize. My hand to God I didn't intend to hurt Ace or his legacy but upon rereading my words, I see how it hurt everyone. Again, I apologize. I've always loved Ace. Always."

Simmons originally told the New York Post in an interview on December 6 that Frehley "refused [advice] from people that cared about him — including yours truly — to try to change his lifestyle." He added: "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. The saddest thing — you reap what you shall sow, unfortunately."

The founding KISS guitarist died of blunt-trauma injuries to his head due to a fall, the Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed in a report obtained. The manner of death was ruled an accident.

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.

A separate toxicology report on Frehley's blood at the time of his death has not yet been released.

During last month's "KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas" event, Gene talked about Ace and Peter while answering a question about what he would have done differently in his career if given the opportunity. He said: "If I have any regrets, it's that I sometimes — and I think we all go through this — wish we were smarter and better at trying to help Ace and Peter have better lives. All of us are guilty of it, and so am I — 'I don't want to start an argument. 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 [so on], and you don't want to ruin anything. [In the] meantime, somebody who might be your brother is ruining their life by bad decisions. I think this goes to your friends, your lovers, your family members — I wish I would have practiced more tough love and been more in the face of people that we cared about… Tough love is a good idea in my opinion with your children, with the people you love, with the people you care about, with the people you work with. It's not going to be a popular thing — you're going to argue about it — but in the long run, you're going to be helping that person hopefully change their life."

Frehley's longtime manager John Ostrosky confirmed to the New York Post that the late KISS icon was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York.

The legendary musician was buried on October 22 following a private memorial on October 21 at Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers, New York.

Frehley, whose real name was Paul Daniel Frehley, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey. He reportedly died nearly two weeks after a second fall at his home, which led to him being placed on life support after a brain bleed. The musician's family made the heartbreaking decision to take him off the ventilator.

Frehley's family confirmed his death, writing in a 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!"

The day of Ace's death, Stanley and Simmons issued a statement in which they said: "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 a part of KISS's legacy. Our thoughts are with Jeanette, Monique and all those who loved him, including our fans around the world."

Simmons also wrote on X: "Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace's legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn't live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!"

Ace co-founded KISS with Paul, Gene and Peter in New York City in 1973. Frehley appeared on KISS's first nine albums, and returned for the band's 1998 reunion album, "Psycho Circus", only to leave again. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the rest of KISS's original lineup in 2014.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002 after the conclusion of KISS's first "farewell tour." Since his departure, guitarist Tommy Thayer had assumed the role of the Spaceman.

Earlier in October, Frehley scrapped the remainder of his previously announced 2025 tour dates due to unspecified "medical issues".

The legendary rocker announced the cancelation two weeks after he pulled out of the Antelope Valley Fair in Lancaster, California after sustaining minor injuries in a fall at his home.

Frehley had a rocky relationship with Simmons and Stanley whom he blamed for exacerbating his abuse of drugs and alcohol because they allegedly minimized his contributions to KISS.

In 2019, Simmons told Guitar World that Frehley and Criss had exited KISS three times, in part because they "weren't carrying their load" and weren't dependable onstage. In response, Frehley called Simmons and Stanley "control freaks, untrustworthy and… too difficult to work with."

Ace said in a 2024 interview that he got sober in 2006 after "10 car accidents" and credited his daughter Monique with inspiring him to give up drinking in 2006.

"My daughter calls me up and goes, 'Dad, I'm not hearing good things about you.' I looked in the mirror and just said, 'Shit — she's right,'" he said. "That evening, I called my sponsor and he took me to an AA meeting, and I've been sober ever since."