KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer has opened up about how the loss of Ace Frehley affected him and his bandmates, and revealed plans for a tribute to the late guitarist, speaking on Ultimate Classic Rock.
Thayer described how Frehley’s death hit the KISS camp hard, particularly its senior members. He also reflected on Frehley’s influence on his own musical development and on rock music more broadly.
“Well, it’s an important thing,” Thayer said. “I mean, that was a huge loss last year for everyone and I think it really hit us. I shouldn’t say us, but I mean, particularly Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons].”
“But it hit me too and it left an emptiness. Because look, there’s been some issues and interpersonal stuff through the years and this and that. But at the end of the day, I think everybody loves each other.”
Thayer went on to explain what made Frehley so significant to KISS and to himself as a young musician.
“He was such an important part of creating what they did in the first place. And obviously, even for me personally, Ace Frehley was such a huge part of my young teenage experience, learning to play guitar, learning to mimic his guitar parts and [other] things, which to me were so quintessential and so signature at the time. You know, he made a huge impact on a lot of people.”
The guitarist compared the feeling of losing Frehley to the death of another rock icon.
“When something like that happens suddenly, and he’s gone, everybody kind of loses part of themselves, I guess, in a way. I had the same feeling when Eddie Van Halen passed away. It’s just like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this,’ and it leaves kind of a hole in your heart and your musical soul, or something — it’s very strange.”
Thayer confirmed that KISS is planning a proper tribute to Frehley during an upcoming event.
“But he’s missed, so we’ll be having a nice Ace tribute. It’s going to be well planned and everybody’s going to be involved. I think it’s really appropriate for this.”
The comments come as KISS prepares for this year’s KISS Land-Locked in Vegas event. The band is making sure the tribute to Frehley will be a major part of the celebration.
Frehley died on October 16, 2025, after suffering a brain bleed following a fall at his studio while working on a new album. He was the original lead guitarist, an occasional vocalist, and a founding member of KISS, playing with the group from 1973 until 1982, before later rejoining in 1996 until his final departure in 2002.
Tommy Thayer took over as lead guitarist for KISS in 2002. In 1995 and 1996, Thayer worked with Frehley and drummer Peter Criss to help them relearn their original parts from the 1970s, and managed both the Worldwide Kiss Convention tour and the Kiss MTV Unplugged concert.
The three surviving original members of KISS—Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss—reunited at the Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2025, where they mentioned their late bandmate. Frehley became only the third person to receive the honour posthumously.
For the second annual Land-Locked in Vegas event taking place at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas from November 13–15, 2026, KISS announced a special all-star tribute to Frehley. Each member of the band will perform a hand-picked Frehley song as part of the celebration.
