In a poignant tribute to the “Space Ace,” popular music historian and content creator Professor Of Rock (aka Adam Reader) has released what is believed to be the final extensive interview with KISS co-founder Ace Frehley.
The video, which runs over an hour, features previously unseen footage from a sit-down conversation conducted shortly before the guitarist’s tragic passing last month. While snippets of the discussion had been used in previous content, Reader felt it was appropriate to release the raw, uncut session to honor Frehley‘s massive contribution to rock history.
In his introduction to the video, Professor Of Rock contextualized the release within a particularly difficult year for the music world, citing the recent losses of other titans like Brian Wilson and Ozzy Osbourne.
“Hey Music Junkies, it’s been a rough year. We’ve lost a lot of legends. First Brian Wilson. Then Ozzy in the summer, and then recently we lost Ace Frehley,” Reader stated. “Ace was a guitar player who influenced more great bands and songs than you could ever calculate. His influence is incomparable in hard rock, and he didn’t really get that credit. I was honoured to spend well over an hour with him a short time ago, picking his brain and getting the history behind his incredible contributions and I’ve only ever shared about 10 minutes of this uncut interview.”
Reader emphasized that the interview serves as a comprehensive look at Frehley‘s career, from the heights of the KISS era to his vindication as a solo artist.
“By my account, it’s the last detailed interview that he did and covers the best of his time with KISS and his solo records, including ‘New York Groove‘ that the other guys in KISS gave him a hard time when all the members of KISS were doing solo albums, and in the end Ace outsold them all,” Reader continued. “It’s a great insight into Ace as one of the most influential guitarists in rock history and an all-around good guy. Here it is.”
You can watch the full video down below.
The release comes just over a month after the rock world was shaken by Frehley‘s sudden death on October 16, 2025. The 74-year-old musician passed away in Morristown, New Jersey, following a freak accident.
According to the Morris County Medical Examiner’s report, Frehley suffered a “nasty fall” in a recording studio, resulting in blunt trauma to the head. The fall caused a skull fracture and a subdural hematoma—a collection of blood between the brain and its outer covering—which subsequently led to a stroke.
Despite undergoing emergency procedures to evacuate the hematoma, Frehley‘s condition did not improve. After being placed on a ventilator and life support, his family made the difficult decision to withdraw care. His manner of death was officially ruled an accident.
Following his passing, Frehley‘s family issued a statement expressing their grief and gratitude for the support of his global fanbase.
“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,” the family wrote. “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.”
Photo credit: Jayme Thornton
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