Obituaries: KISS Guitar Hero Ace Frehley, Limp Bizkit Bassist Sam Rivers

Ace (Paul Daniel) Frehley, the founding guitarist of KISS and a guitar hero to many, died on Oct. 16, at age 74.

It had been reported that Frehley was on life support after suffering a brain bleed when he fell while in the studio several weeks ago.

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In its obituary, Billboard reported that "His family shared the news Thursday through a statement: '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!”

Frehley grew up in a musical family and began playing guitar at age 13. Before joining Kiss, he played in local bands around New York City and was a roadie for Jimi Hendrix at age 18.

Kiss was especially popular in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing its iconic look to become a marketing marvel. “Beth” was its biggest commercial hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976. Billboard notes that "Frehley was a core part of KISS since co-founding the band in 1973, sticking with the lineup through 1982. He later returned for the band’s blockbuster reunion tour in 1996 and stayed on until 2002.The band released some of its most successful albums during Frehley’s tenure, including 1977’s Love Gun and Alive II, both of which charted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200."

In 1984, he launched his own career with Frehley’s Comet, a hard rock band with whom he released two albums and an EP. His 1989 debut solo album, Trouble Walkin’, included a guest appearance from his former KISS bandmate Peter Criss.

In February 2024, Frehley told Billboard that he thought there was still a chance the original KISS lineup might reunite. “I’m the only game in town because KISS is supposedly retired — which I don’t believe is gonna happen,” he said at the time. “But be that as it may … I actually added two more KISS songs to my set. We added ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ because talking to people, they go … ‘You gotta do those songs live.’ And I did, and it went over fantastic.”

An Associated Press obituary notes that "Kiss’ original lineup included Frehley, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tongue-wagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Frehley’s is the first death among the four founding members.

"Band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters — Frehley was known as 'Space Ace' and 'The Spaceman.' The New York-born entertainer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer often experimented with pyrotechnics, making his guitars glow, emit smoke and shoot rockets from the headstock."

"Frehley frequently feuded with Stanley and Simmons through the years. He left the band in 1982, missing the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. But he rejoined Kiss in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion and restoration of their original style that came after bands including Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins had expressed affection for the band and paid them musical tributes."

"He would leave again in 2002. When the original four entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, a dispute scrapped plans for them to perform. Simmons and Stanley objected to Criss and Frehley being inducted instead of then-guitarist Tommy Thayer and then-drummer Eric Singer."

Simmons and Stanley did pay tribute to Frehley in a joint statement, calling him "an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame issued this statement: "In Memoriam: Ace Frehley was the co-founder and original guitarist of 2014 Inductees KISS. Known for his distinctive licks, flashy pyrotechnics, and his alter ego – the 'Spaceman' – Frehley also contributed lead vocals on songs such as 'Shock Me' and 'Rocket Ride, and he wrote or co-wrote such memorable, riff-driven songs as 'Cold Gin”' and 'Parasite.'

"When the four members of KISS all put out solo albums in 1978, Frehley’s was the biggest seller, driven by the hit single 'New York Groove.' After KISS, he had a successful solo career and released two albums with his own group, Frehley’s Comet. A crucial part of a band that inspired a generation of hard rockers to pick up instruments, 'Space Ace' will be remembered as one of the most recognizable and influential guitarists of all time."

One eloquent Facebook tribute to Frehley came from his friend Jaan Uhelszki, a veteran music U.S. music journalist (she co-founded Creem). She posted that "While always considered the Clown prince of KISS, Ace Frehley actually had the highest IQ of the band, and despite the preening and blood spitting, and the levitating drum set, it was Ace who perennially was voted the most beloved member of KISS.

"Why? Because he seemed like one of us. I have always believed you could really tell who a person was by which member of KISS they liked the best. For me, it was always Ace. I loved his cackle of a laugh, how he used to call everyone Curly. (Then he wouldn’t have to remember names, or reveal he’d forgotten them), and how he really seemed to care.

"He was a sage, a savant and always the joker in the deck, knowing full well the truest things are said in jest. He told a lot of truths in his too brief time here. To me, 'You really don’t know much about make-up for a chick,' then promptly taught me the finer points of putting on foundation. I'll miss you Space Ace. Fly safe out there."

Others paying tribute to Frehley on social media included some notable Canadian musicians and industry types.

Hamilton-based rockers The Trews posted an affectionate tribute to Frehley on their Facebook page. It reads: "We’re gutted to hear about the passing of @acefrehleyofficial. We had such a good time touring the States with him for 6 weeks back in 2008. And he was a total one-of-a-kind genius on the guitar, and probably one of the most influential of all time. Rest in Peace."

Canadian rock guitarist-singer Todd Kerns (Age of Electric, Slash, Toque) guested with Ace Frehley at KISS Indy 2018. On X, Kerns termed that "one of the biggest thrills of my life."

Luke Bentham, frontman of Hamilton hard rockers The Dirty Nil, posted this tribute on Facebook: "ACE FOREVER. He contributed heavily to the most important type of guitar: Stunt Guitar. He was a mess, he was a hero. The greatest laugh in the history of Rock N Roll. A true original and way cooler than his band. Thank you for your service, Rock Soldier."

Veteran Canadian music publicist Steve Waxman offered his recollections in this Facebook homage: "Ace Frehley was my first guitar hero. You might think that KISS was a joke. They weren’t. They might not have been your cup of tea but their music meant a lot to millions of us. The songs were terrific and the musicianship was approachable.

"The first time I saw KISS was at Varsity Stadium, Toronto, on the Destroyer tour. When they came out on stage, blasting 'Detroit Rock City,' I remember laughing. I couldn’t believe they were actually real. Every time I see of video of them these days, I am transported back to that moment.

"Ace was always the cool one. The way he played, the way he moved, even in those massive moon boots oozed cool. Not Keith Richards cool. No, Ace had totally his own way of being cool. Of course there was that crazy interview on the Tom Snyder show where Ace took over just with his cackling laugh. While Gene and Paul were the leaders of the band and wrote most of the material, Ace was the heart.

"And he was no slouch when it came to songwriting. Some of their best lived concert highlights are Ace Frehley songs- 'Cold Gin,' 'Shock Me,' 'New York Groove' (ok, a cover but one owned now by Ace). And don’t forget, when KISS released their simultaneous solo records, Ace’s was far and away the best of the lot and still stands up today!"

"My first job in the music industry was working for Bill Aucoin. While he didn’t manage KISS anymore then, the guys would come visit the office from time to time. My biggest thrill was one day, coming back to the office in a rain storm and hearing Ace’s unmistakeable voice calling out from across the street with a wave “Steve, hey Steve!”Rock on, Ace. Enjoy the Rocket Ride."

Toronto musician/producer Derek Downham (on Facebook): "The first song I learned in it’s entirety on guitar was 'Deuce' by Kiss. Then I proceeded to learn basically every song from their first 5 albums. Rest, Ace Frehley. This hits me in my childhood heart. I’m not sure I would’ve stuck with guitar if it wasn’t for Ace Frehley. I know I am far from alone."

Sam Rivers, longtime bass player and a founding member of nu-metal band Limp Bizkit, died on Oct. 18, at age 48.

Rivers’ cause of death has not been revealed, but a Billboard obituary notes that "he was diagnosed with liver disease in 2011 and received a liver transplant in 2017. Within this time period, he took a short hiatus from his work with Limp Bizkit — but was back with the band by 2018.

In a post on Instagram, the band ((Fred Durst, Wes Borland, John Otto and DJ Lethal) wrote: “Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat,” Limp Bizkit wrote on Saturday of

Rivers, who was born in Jacksonville, Florida, was one third of the original formation of Limp Bizkit in 1994, alongside vocalist Durst and drummer Otto (Borland and DJ Lethal joined in 1996).

The band stated that “Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound. From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.

Billboard reports that "Limp Bizkit’s breakthrough came with the nu-metal band’s 1997 debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y’all — featuring their cover version of George Michael’s 'Faith,' which picked up radio airplay and had a music video in rotation on MTV and the network’s then-popular TRL (Total Request Live).

"But it was their 1999 sophomore album Significant Other that reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time, and the set received three Grammy nominations — in the categories of best rock album and best hard rock performance (for their hit 'Nookie'” as well as album track 'Take a Look Around'). They’d have another Billboard 200 No. 1 with the 2000 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.

Limp Bizkit has released a total of six full-length studio albums, with the most recent being 2021’s Still Sucks. The band recently returned to No. 1 on a Billboard chart for the first time since 2011. The single “Making Love to Morgan Wallen” debuted atop Hot Hard Rock Songs, Alternative Digital Song Sales and Hard Rock Digital Song Sales the week of Sept. 27, 2025.

In its obituary, BBC notes that "With its hip-hop rock style and expletive-laden lyrics, Limp Bizkit created a defining sound of the late '90s and are credited with helping to bring heavy music to the mainstream."

"Alongside his musical talent — Rivers was awarded the Gibson award for Best Bassist in 2000 — the band also championed his charitable work in their tribute to him. 'You will live on through your music and the lives you helped save with your music, charity work and friendships,' DJ Lethal wrote."

Klaus Doldinger, a German saxophonist known for his work in jazz and as a film music composer, died on Oct. 16, at age 87.

The jazz-fusion project he led, Passport, started in 1971 (then called Klaus Doldinger's Passport) and still enjoys success in Germany, where it had a major influence.

Born in Berlin, Doldinger entered a Düsseldorf conservatory in 1947, originally studying piano and then clarinet, graduating in 1957. In 1953 he joined the German Dixieland band The Feetwarmers, and recorded with them in 1955. Later that year, he founded Oscar's Trio, modeled on Oscar Peterson's work.

During the 1960s, he worked as a tenor saxophonist, working with visiting American jazz musicians, Beat groups like Ian and the Zodiacs and recording in his own right. The first true Passport album had strong ties to Krautrock group Amon Düül II, containing contributions from Olaf Kübler, Lothar Meid and Jimmy Jackson. Notable guests on Passport albums included Guests include Brian Auger (1973), Johnny Griffin (1973) and Pete York (1973).

Doldinger then moved into the world of composition for TV and film. He was a frequent collaborator of top German filmmaker Wolfgang Petersen on many of his films as a score composer, including global hit films Das Boot and The NeverEnding Story. He also composed the theme for Germany's number-one TV series, Tatort.

Bob Franke, an American folk singer-songwriter, died on Oct. 16, at age 78. He died of a heart attack while recovering from injuries suffered when he was hit by a speeding motorcycle in Guatemala.

He began his career in 1965, while a student at the University of Michigan, and performed at The Ark, a coffeehouse in Ann Arbor. After graduating from Michigan in 1969 with a degree in English literature, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to attend Episcopal Theological School. He left school to pursue a musical career, and lived in New England ever since, until recently moving to Guatemala.

In addition to his performing career, Franke taught songwriting workshops and in 1990, wrote a set of songs for a ballet based on The Velveteen Rabbit. In 1999, the young adult novel Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger, in which Franke's song of the same name features heavily, was published.

Notable artists covering his songs have included Kathy Mattea, June Tabor, Claudia Schmidt, John McCutcheon, Peter, Paul and Mary and others. Four of Franke's songs are included in the folk song collection Rise Up Singing: "Beggars to God," "The Great Storm Is Over," "Hard Love" and "Thanksgiving Eve." Of note: Canadian folk legend Stan Rogers and his brother Garnet Rogers both covered Franke's composition "Thanksgiving Eve.'"

Franke, a liberal Christian, often covered spiritual and personal themes in his songwriting, and also wrote some politically-focused material, including the songs "Kristallnacht Is Coming" and "El Niño.".

His 1989 album Brief Histories has as its theme the history of Salem, Massachusetts, with songs about the witch trials, the Salem Willows amusement park and Alexander Graham Bell. He released 10 solo albums between 1976 and 2017.