Farewell to the Spaceman. Ace Frehley, the original guitarist for the rock band KISS, died at the age of 74, his family said in a statement Thursday. Frehley, a New York native, became one of the founding members of KISS in 1973 alongside Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. Known for their iconic black-and-white painted faces, platform boots and black wigs, KISS produced hits like “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City” and sold tens of millions of albums. |