JOHN 5 Confirms He Was Due To Appear On ACE FREHLEY's 'Origins Vol. 3' Album: 'He Wanted Me To Play On The Record'

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5, who contributed to "Origins Vol. 1" and "Origins Vol. 2", Ace Frehley's 2016 and 2020 collections of cover songs that inspired the late KISS guitarist, has confirmed to Guitar World magazine that he was supposed to appear on Ace's follow-up effort, "Origins Vol. 3", which the KISS icon was working on at the time of his death.

"No one has asked me that yet, but yes, [Ace wanted me to appear on 'Origins Vol. 3']," John 5 told Guitar World. "It kills me, man. It kills me, because he did ask me, and I am so sad. So, yeah… I was gonna do it with him. I don't know what song I was gonna do, but he wanted me to play on the record because I did his others. I cherish those times."

Frehley died on October 16 of blunt trauma injuries to his head due to a fall. The Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed the cause of death in a report obtained by TMZ.com. Ace's manner of death was ruled an accident. He was 74 years old.

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.

Late last month, 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.

"It's still hard to talk about," John 5 told Guitar World about Frehley's passing. "He was happy and healthy. He was excited about the Kennedy Center [Honors]. He was excited about doing shows. He was in such a good place, and he literally had an accident. After the first [fall], that's when he went to the doctor, and got checked out, and they said, 'Yeah, you're good. You're healthy. And Ace always had trouble walking… he even had a record called 'Trouble Walkin''. So, he always had balance issues, and you can even see old videos of him onstage in the '70s, you know — it's just how he was. It's just so sad."

During an October 17 "Tribute To Ace Frehley" episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", John 5 reflected on his KISS fandom and his personal relationship with Frehley. He said: "Just like everybody, just like millions of people around the world, I first discovered KISS in '77 when I was seven years old. So he has been in all of our lives for our whole life — our whole life he has been a part of all of these people's lives since they got into them as kids, got into KISS. And I became very close with Ace. I would talk to him just all the time on the phone. We hung out, we went to the movies, went to pawn shops, we did everything. And it was such a magical time and he had just such a kind heart and he was a a kind soul. He really was. He was just such a good person and caring person."

Referencing the fact that Ace is slated to receive a Kennedy Center Honor at a December 7 ceremony which will air on December 23 on CBS, John added: "Everybody's very sad [about Ace's passing], but then you think back of all the fun stories and all the funny stories, but one of the very last times I talked to him — it was right before his first fall. And we were talking, and what he said — he was so happy, he was so excited about the Kennedy Center Honors. He was just so over the moon about this. And what he told me is he was so excited that the president said his name and said it correctly. At this point of his life, he was over the moon. He was so happy. And that's, I think, something really, really important."

According to Billboard, Frehley will become only the third person to receive a Kennedy Center Honor posthumously, following two other group members who likewise died after the groups' awards were first announced: Glenn Frey of EAGLES and Phil Lesh of GRATEFUL DEAD.

This past May, John 5 opened up his very own KISS-themed museum in Los Angeles, California. The guitarist's personal haul of KISS collectibles was put on display at his Knights In Satan Service Museum of KISS memorabilia, a temporary exhibit that ran through most of the month.

John 5's collection spans 2,500-plus pieces encompassing unique merch and one-of-a-kind collectibles from the gilded era of KISS, 1973-1983, including one of the only known pairs of Gene Simmons's "Destroyer" boots from 1976 and his first outfit from 1974 as well as banners from the band's appearance at Woodfield Mall, outside Chicago, in 1974 for the "National KISS-Off" kissing contest.

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. As well as being a songwriter/guitarist for hire, John 5 has shared the stage as axe-man for Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Rob Halford. He has also worked with an impressive array of names, from all walks of music, including KD Lang, Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Tina Guo, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, Meat Loaf, Dolly Parton and Ricky Martin. In October 2022, it was announced that John 5 would be joining MÖTLEY CRÜE as their guitarist following the revelation that Mick Mars would be retiring. John 5 continues to tour with MÖTLEY CRÜE.