The official cause of death for KISS founding member and legendary guitarist Ace Frehley has been released weeks after his sudden passing.
The musician died on October 16, with a medical report now confirming “blunt trauma injuries” to his head sustained during a fall as the cause of death.
The report, obtained by TMZ, states his death was ruled an accident.
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According to the Morris County, New Jersey Medical Examiner’s report his injuries included a fracture to the back of his skull, a subdural hematoma (a collection of blood formed between the brain’s protective outer layer and the brain itself) and a stroke.
Frehley had been placed on life support after the musician reportedly hit his head after he collapsed in his home studio and suffered a brain bleed.
According to the report, he underwent a procedure to fix the bleed but it was unsuccessful.
Frehley’s family reportedly made the difficult decision to turn off his ventilator before making the shock announcement.
“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,” the family said in a statement at the time.
“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.”
Frehley told fans about the fall, which he described as “minor”, in a statement shared to Instagram on September 25.
At the time, he wrote that he had been advised by doctors to cancel a performance scheduled for the next day in California.
“Ace looks forward to continuing on his tour and finishing work on his next album, Origins Vol. 4,” the statement read.
But on October 6, Frehley cancelled the rest of his 2025 tour dates “due to ongoing medical issues”.
Less than two weeks later, the musician, also known for his Spaceman alter ego, died at the age of 74.
Frehley was KISS’s original lead guitarist and occasional lead singer from 1973 until its final show in 2023.
Known for enduring hits such as Rock and Roll All Nite and I Was Made for Lovin’ You, the make-up and leather-clad band became icons of glam-rock in the 1970s.
Their massive success led to Frehley, vocalist Gene Simmons, drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Paul Stanley receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999 before being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
