Gene Simmons recently shared a tribute post for late KISS guitarist Ace Frehley on what would have been his 75th birthday. The gesture has drawn criticism from KISS fans on X (formerly Twitter).
The tribute post sparked backlash from fans who felt the message was insincere given Simmons’ previous comments about Frehley’s death.
“Happy birthday, Ace. Wherever you are…” Simmons said in his social media post.
However, KISS fans quickly responded with criticism in the comments section.
“Are you serious? You throw the man under the bus all while he was alive. Now you wanna wish him a Happy Birthday. You’re a joke Gene,” one fan commented on Simmons’ post.
Another fan expressed similar sentiments about the tribute’s authenticity.
“Why bother saying shit you don’t mean. Even after his death you continue to shit on him,” another KISS fan wrote.
Following the death of longtime KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons publicly linked the tragedy to what he described as Frehley’s long-term “bad decisions,” a framing that quickly sparked backlash among fans and fellow musicians.
In a controversial interview, Simmons suggested that Frehley had repeatedly resisted help from those close to him, including himself, and implied that those choices ultimately contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death.
“He refused [advice] from people that cared about him — including yours truly — to try to change his lifestyle. In and out of bad decisions. Falling down the stairs — I’m not a doctor — doesn’t kill you. There may have been other issues, and it breaks my heart,” Simmons had previously said about Ace Frehley’s death.
Following the backlash, Gene Simmons later issued a public apology, acknowledging that his wording had been inappropriate and had caused additional pain for Ace Frehley’s family, friends, and fans. He emphasized that his comments were not meant to diminish Frehley’s legacy or reduce the complexity of his life and struggles, but admitted that the way he expressed himself came across as harsh and insensitive.
“On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used,” Simmons said. “I humbly apologize. My hand to God I didn’t intend to hurt Ace or his legacy, but upon rereading my words, I see how it hurt everyone. Again, I apologize. I’ve always loved Ace. Always.”
Gene Simmons’ recent tribute to Ace can be seen as one of his attempts to make peace with KISS fans after his unfortunate comments about his former bandmate after his death.
