Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s cause of death has been revealed weeks after his passing.
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The Morris County Medical Examiner confirmed in a report obtained by TMZ on Monday that the legendary guitarist died from blunt trauma injuries to his head sustained in a fall. The death was ruled an accident.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was 74.
Frehley’s family announced his death in a statement on Oct. 16, confirming the musician had passed away earlier that day in Morristown, N.J., after a recent fall at his home.
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken,” his family wrote, per PEOPLE. “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,” his family concluded.
Fellow KISS Bandmates Paid Tribute to Ace Frehley Following His Death Last Month
KISS bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley also paid tribute to Frehley later that day.
“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons, 76, and Stanley, 73, said in a joint statement. “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,” they added. They also sent condolences to Frehley’s estranged wife Jeanette Trerotola, his daughter Monique Frehley, and “all those who loved him, including our fans around the world.”
Frehley, a founding member of KISS alongside Simmons, Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss, served as the band’s lead guitarist from 1973 to 1982. He departed due to substance abuse and creative differences, after which his bandmates continued until their original 1988 breakup.
After leaving KISS, Frehley continued his solo music career. He formed the band Frehley’s Comet with members John Regan, Anton Fig, Tod Howarth, and Jamie Oldaker. Frehley’s Comet disbanded in 1988.
Frehley later reunited with his bandmates for KISS’s 1996 reunion tour, remaining with the group until 2002. After his second departure, he continued his solo career until his recent fall.
Frehley, Simmons, Stanley, and Criss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.