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Ace Frehley in Charlotte, North Caroline in October 2021
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On Sunday, Dec. 7, KISS founding members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss were celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors
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Stanely and Criss remembered late member Ace Frehley and said they, along with KISS fans, will carry on his legacy
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Frehley died in October of blunt trauma injuries in his head due to a fall
The members of KISS are commemorating their late bandmate Ace Frehley.
At the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday, Dec. 7, KISS was recognized alongside Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, George Strait and Michael Crawford. In interviews with PEOPLE on the red carpet, KISS founders Paul Stanley and Peter Criss open up about carrying on Frehley’s legacy.
“We’ll all carry it forever, because we’re really not together anymore. We’re all separated,” Criss, 79, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
In a group interview, Stanley, 73, says “the fans carry on his legacy” — and he feels Frehley, who died in October, is there in spirit.
“We are here and simultaneously we can mourn his passing and celebrate our accomplishments. So both things can be true at the same time,” he says. “He’s here in spirit. He was looking very forward to being here and I feel he’s here.”
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Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Paul Stanely at the Kennedy Center Honors
“People live on through the arts,” he continues. “That’s the beauty of the arts, is that when people are gone, they remain. Their impact remains. The joy that they bring people remains. You know, Beethoven doesn’t have to be here today. Picasso doesn’t have to be here today. The fact that they existed and contributed something means that we all benefit timelessly.”
This mindset, he says, has alway been “the template” for KISS — and he sees the band’s relationship with fans as a two-way street.
“It’s not only about what you get from people, it’s what you give them,” he says. “When people say to me, ‘Thank you for making my life what it is,’ I go, ‘Thank you for making my life what it is.’ So if you appreciate your fans deeply, they are that much more dedicated to you. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Frehley’s family announced his death in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Oct. 16, saying that the rocker died earlier that day in Morristown, N.J., after a recent fall at his home. TMZ previously reported the rocker was on life support due to a brain bleed caused by a fall several weeks prior.
“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 statement read.
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Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Gene Simmons in January 1975 in Los Angeles
It continued, “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!”
Nearly a month later, a report by the Morris County Medical Examiner obtained by PEOPLE confirmed that he died of blunt trauma injuries in his head due to fall. The manner of death was ruled an accident.
Read the original article on People
