One of the founding members of legendary rock band Kiss has died aged 74, his family have confirmed.
Guitarist Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley died surrounded by his loved ones, who said they were "devastated and heartbroken" by his loss.
"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," a statement on Thursday morning said.
Frehley founded the iconic hard rock group alongside Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, with whom he performed from 1973 to 1982 before leaving amid creative differences and substance abuse issues.
Guitarist Paul Daniel 'Ace' Frehley died surrounded by his loved ones, who said they were 'devastated and heartbroken'
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He then embarked on a solo career, founding the band Frehley's Comet, which played together from 1984 to 1988.
The guitarist later rejoined Kiss for their 1996 reunion tour and remained with them until 2002.
Frehley was hospitalised just weeks ago after taking a bad fall in his studio, resulting in the legendary musician to suffer a bleed on the brain.
He was later placed on life support, but his family made the decision to turn off his ventilator on Thursday, according to TMZ.
The guitarist later rejoined Kiss for their 1996 reunion tour and remained with them until 2002
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The Kiss legend was born in the Bronx in New York City in 1951.
The Frehleys were a musical family, with his mother, father, brother and sister all playing instruments.
At the age of 13, Frehley's parents gifted him an electric guitar for Christmas, which he mastered - despite never taking a lesson.
He was given the nickname Ace after his high school friends described him as being "a real ace" for picking up women.
The Kiss legend was born in the Bronx in New York City in 1951
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Before his rock career took off, the guitarist previously worked as a postman, liquor store delivery person and a taxi driver.
In Kiss's early days, he continued to work as a cabbie as the band rehearsed and performed to empty clubs.
Frehley was finally able to park up the taxi for good after the band began to receive a $50 (£37.20) weekly salary, worth around £365 today, from manager Bill Aucoin.
The band released their debut album, Kiss, in February 1974, with the legendary guitarist credited for writing two songs, "Love Theme from Kiss" and "Cold Gin".
In an interview with Rock N Roll Experience Magazine in 2009, the rocket said he was an "an anomaly" and "an un-schooled musician".
Frehley told the magazine: "I don't know how to read music, but I'm one of the most famous guitar players in the world, so go figure."
The guitarist's final album, 10,000 Volts, was released in 2024 and surged to the top of the Billboard Hard Music and Rock Album Charts.
Frehley had his next album, Origins Vol. 3, scheduled to be released later this year prior to his death.
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