A poignant and troubling glimpse into the final months of Ace Frehley‘s life has surfaced online. On Friday, December 19, the latest episode of the Waste Some Time With Jason Green series, titled “My Life On The Road,” premiered, featuring behind-the-scenes and performance footage from a concert in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, on July 19.
The event, which featured performances by Vixen, Stephen Pearcy, and Frehley, marked one of the legendary guitarist’s last public appearances before his tragic death on October 16 at the age of 74. The video documents a distressing scene where Frehley was forced to cut his set short. Citing severe heat exhaustion, the “Spaceman” is seen being escorted off the stage, unable to complete the performance.
Jason Green, the host of the podcast and tour manager for Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini, captured the footage, offering fans a somber context to the physical struggles Frehley faced in his final days.
The release of the video comes just two months after Frehley‘s passing. The founding KISS guitarist died peacefully in Morristown, New Jersey, surrounded by his family. His death was the result of blunt-trauma injuries to the head sustained during a fall at his home.
According to a report from the Morris County Medical Examiner, the manner of death was ruled an accident. A CT scan conducted at the time revealed that Frehley had suffered extensive injuries, including “multiple contusions, bone fractures to the back of his skull, hemorrhages, and a subdural hematoma.” The report also indicated that the musician had suffered a stroke and noted additional bruising on his hip, thigh, and abdomen.
Frehley had reportedly fallen at his home nearly two weeks prior to his death, leading to a brain bleed that necessitated life support. His family ultimately made the difficult decision to remove him from the ventilator. A toxicology report regarding his blood at the time of the incident has not yet been made public.
The aftermath of Frehley‘s death was briefly marred by controversy involving his former bandmate, Gene Simmons. Earlier this month, Simmons issued an apology after facing backlash for comments suggesting that Frehley‘s demise was linked to “bad decisions” and his “lifestyle.” The remarks had drawn sharp criticism from fans and the rock community given the accidental nature of the fall.
Frehley (born Paul Daniel Frehley) co-founded KISS in 1973 alongside Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss. He defined the sound of the band’s first nine studio albums and returned for the 1998 reunion LP Psycho Circus. In 2014, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with the original lineup.
