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KISS Honors Late Guitarist Ace Frehley at Vegas Cruise Kickoff
15 Nov
Summary
- KISS pays tribute to founding member Ace Frehley at first KISS Kruise event
- Frehley passed away in October 2025 at age 74 from injuries sustained in a fall
- Band encourages fans to hold candles and chant Frehley's name to honor him
On November 11, 2025, the rock band KISS held a special tribute for their late founding member, guitarist Ace Frehley, at the kickoff of their KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas event. During the event, KISS frontman Paul Stanley addressed the crowd, acknowledging the band's differences with Frehley over the years, but stating that "that's what family is about."
Stanley then led the crowd in a moment of silence to honor Frehley, who passed away just last month at the age of 74 from injuries sustained in a fall. Following the tribute, the crowd outside the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas broke into a chant of "Ace! Ace! Ace!" as Stanley encouraged them to hold up plastic candles to further commemorate the legendary guitarist.
In a statement following Frehley's passing, KISS co-founder Gene Simmons expressed his sadness, saying "Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace's legacy." Simmons also noted that Frehley did not live long enough to be honored at the Kennedy Center event in December.
Despite KISS' touring reign coming to an end with their farewell show at Madison Square Garden, the band's final lineup, including Simmons and Stanley, announced plans to reunite without the makeup and theatrics for the KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas this November. The event kicked off with the band performing "Comin' Home," a song co-written by Stanley and Frehley.
