Four of the talented musicians who served as the backbone of Ace Frehley‘s solo band recently reunited to pay their respects to the late Kiss guitar legend. On April 3, bassist and vocalist Ryan Spencer Cook, guitarist and vocalist Jeremy Asbrock, drummer Matt Starr, and guitarist Derrek Hawkins took the stage at the Capitol Theatre in Rome, New York, for a special memorial performance.
To honor the iconic Spaceman, the quartet delivered a complete, front-to-back performance of Ace Frehley‘s legendary 1978 self-titled solo album, rounding out the emotional evening with a selection of classic Kiss staples. Fan-filmed footage of the tribute concert, captured by JPL Productions, has since surfaced online.
The core of the late guitarist’s backing band originally connected with him through another founding member of Kiss. Back in 2018, Jeremy Asbrock, Ryan Spencer Cook, Philip Shouse, and Christopher Williams were performing as the backing group for the Gene Simmons Band. As the bassist prepared to return to the main Kiss camp for their “End Of The Road” farewell tour, he actively encouraged his solo band to join forces with his former bandmate. While Christopher Williams had to decline due to scheduling conflicts with the German metal outfit Accept, the rest of the musicians eagerly accepted the invitation.
Reflecting on how the lineup came together, Asbrock detailed the transition in an October 2025 interview with Rolling Stone:
“Gene [told Ace], ‘If it’s okay with them, it’s okay with me,'” the guitarist recalled. “Later on, Gene pulled me into his dressing room, and the Kiss Kruise was coming up, and he told us that Ace was going to ask us to do the cruise. Then we went to Japan from there with Ace and he asked us to be the band. I joined in September of 2018, so I’ve held the guitar-player position longer than any musician he’s had, consecutively.”
The tribute concert arrives just months after the rock world mourned the loss of the legendary musician. Ace Frehley passed away last October at the age of 74. According to a report from the Morris County Medical Examiner, the founding Kiss guitarist died from blunt-trauma head injuries sustained during an accidental fall. A CT scan revealed multiple contusions, a subdural hematoma, and skull fractures. The report also noted that he had suffered a stroke, alongside bruising on his abdomen, thigh, and hip. A separate toxicology report has not yet been made public.
Born Paul Daniel Frehley, the musician died peacefully in Morristown, New Jersey. Reports indicated he passed nearly two weeks after suffering a second fall at his home, which resulted in a severe brain bleed. He was placed on life support before his family ultimately made the heartbreaking decision to remove the ventilator.
At the time of his passing, the Frehley family released a full statement addressing the devastating loss:
“We are completely devastated and heartbroken. 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!”
Following a private memorial service at the Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers, New York, the guitarist’s longtime manager John Ostrosky confirmed to the New York Post that the rock icon was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx on October 22.
Ace Frehley co-founded Kiss in New York City in 1973 alongside frontman Paul Stanley, bassist Gene Simmons, and drummer Peter Criss. His unmistakable playing defined the band’s first nine studio albums before his initial departure in 1982. He triumphantly returned for the massive 1996 reunion and 1998’s Psycho Circus, officially parting ways with the group for the final time in 2002 after their first farewell tour, eventually being replaced by Tommy Thayer. Alongside the original lineup, he was rightfully inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014.
