Gene Simmons apologises for blaming Ace Frehley’s death on “bad decisions”: “I was wrong”
Gene Simmons has apologised for blaming Kiss’ guitarist Ace Frehley’s death on “bad decisions”.
Frehley passed away on October 16th, aged 74, after sustaining blunt trauma injuries from a fall in the studio, which caused him to cancel all of his touring commitments in September.
Due to the accident, which tragically proved fatal, Frehley suffered a fracture to the back of his skull, as well as suffering a stroke and a subdural hematoma.
Immediately after his death, Simmons took to X to emotionally pay tribute to his late friend, writing, “Our hearts are broken. Ace has passed on. No one can touch Ace’s legacy. I know he loved the fans. He told me many times. Sadder still, Ace didn’t live long enough to be honoured at the Kennedy Ctr Honors event in Dec. Ace was the eternal rock soldier. Long may his legacy live on!”
However, during a recent interview with the New York Post, Simmons again opened up about the death of Frehley, and claimed, “He refused [advice] from people that cared about him – including yours truly – to try to change his lifestyle. In and out of bad decisions.”
He continued, “Falling down the stairs – I’m not a doctor – doesn’t kill you. There may have been other issues, and it breaks my heart. The saddest thing – you reap what you shall sow, unfortunately.”
Simmons’ comments attracted a backlash, and subsequently, he has apologised for the way that he worded his remarks.
The rock musician took to X to write on December 10th, “On reflection, I was wrong for using the words I used. I humbly apologize. My hand to God i didn’t intended to hurt Ace or his legacy but upon rereading my words, I see how it hurt everyone. Again, I apologize. I’ve always loved Ace. Always.”
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Simmons appeared at a Senate subcommittee hearing on the American Music Fairness Act, which, if passed, would force radio stations to pay artists royalties for playing their songs on US radio.
In another example of him using his words strongly, he said while calling for the law to be changed, “When they find out we’re not treating our stars right — in other words, worse than slaves; slaves get food and water. Elvis and Sinatra and Bing Crosby got nothing for their performance. You’ve got to change this now.”
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