Who’s Still Alive From KISS?
Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, passed away on October 16, 2025, after a fall. Frehley was a founding member of the band, which formed in 1973 and dominated ’70s rock culture with shows were full of pyrotechnics and outlandish costumes that kept each musician’s true identity a secret under a layer of face paint. Over the years, the lineup of the band changed, they eventually revealed their faces, but they always kept their cool. The band played their final tour in 2023 but announced the show would go on with digital avatars instead of the real rockers for upcoming shows.
In honor of Frehley’s passing, let’s find out what the members of Kiss have been up to in recent years.
Peter Criss (The Catman), 79
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Criss was the original drummer and assumed the identity of the “Catman.” He also provided the band’s most unlikely hit with “Beth,” which became their highest-charting single. Criss left the band in 1980, returned for the reunion tour in 1996 and finally retired after the early 2000s. He also released solo work that reflected his love for jazz and softer styles of music.
In 2017, Criss staged farewell concerts in New York and Los Angeles, officially closing out his live career. Now in his late 70s, he keeps a quiet life, occasionally appearing at fan events but largely enjoying retirement.
Paul Stanley (The Starchild), 73
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Stanley, the “Starchild,” fronted Kiss from the very beginning and never left; he and Gene Simmons are the only members who have remained consistent through the band’s entire run. As co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist, he was on stage for every era.
Away from music, Stanley has become a successful painter, with his artwork exhibited and sold across the U.S. He continues to be deeply involved in the Kiss legacy, especially with the upcoming avatar project that will carry the band into the future through digital performances. Stanley has also supported his children in their musical pursuits, with his son Evan recently collaborating with Gene Simmons’ son Nick Simmons.
Gene Simmons (The Demon), 76
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Simmons, forever the “Demon,” turned himself into one of the most recognizable figures in rock. Known for his fire-breathing stage antics, Simmons was alongside Stanley for every Kiss chapter. Through the years, he also periodically acted, and along with his family (including his wife, actress Shannon Tweed), starred in the reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels from 2006 to 2012.
The band’s farewell tour may have ended, but Simmons wasted no time launching the Gene Simmons Band, which has begun touring on its own. He also continues to be a driving force behind Kiss’s avatar project, expected to launch in 2027. Away from the stage, Simmons has drawn attention for his real estate ventures, selling and buying properties across the country.
Vinnie Vincent (The Wiz), 73
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Vincent replaced Frehley in 1982, but was only with the band for two years, playing “The Wiz” with an ankh painted on his face — but he’ll always be famous for appearing on their 1983 Lick It Up album, where the band appeared without makeup for the first time. After he left the band, he formed hair metal band Vinnie Vincent Invasion, who released two albums before breaking up in the late ’80s.
Vincent kept a low profile for many years following, but met with Simmons in 2018, and has made several appearances on the convention circuit since then, including performing live in 2022 with fellow former Kiss guitarists Frehley and Bruce Kulick.
Bruce Kulick, 71
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Kulick was already a seasoned musician when he joined Kiss in 1984, having worked as a touring guitarist for Meatloaf and performing with a pre-fame Michael Bolton in the rock band Blackjack, as well as on Bolton’s early solo recording work.
Kulick joined Kiss in 1984 and remained until 1996; he is notable for having never had a costume or “persona,” since his work with the band was in their no-makeup era.
In the decades since leaving Kiss, Kulick has stayed very busy — he was the lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad from 2000 to 2023, and has released several solo albums. In 2003, he was walking down the street in Los Angeles following a Vince Neil concert when he was shockingly hit by two stray bullets, but recovered.
Tommy Thayer (The Spaceman in Later Years), 64
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Thayer stepped into the “Spaceman” role in 2002, carrying on the legacy that Frehley began. Though some longtime fans resisted the idea, Thayer proved himself and helped keep Kiss running during its final decades. He stayed through the very last live show in 2023. In addition to his onstage role, Thayer has worked extensively behind the scenes, managing aspects of the band’s business and legacy.
Eric Singer (The Catman in Later Years), 67
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Singer joined Kiss in 1991 and became their most consistent drummer after Criss. He adopted the “Catman” persona in the 2000s and brought a new technical edge to the band’s live performances. Singer’s powerful drumming anchored the group during its final tours, including the last run in 2023. Like Thayer, Singer is also tied to the avatar future of Kiss.
In Memoriam
Ace Frehley (The Spaceman)
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Frehley helped launch Kiss in 1973 with his “Spaceman” character and unforgettable guitar solos. He first left the band in 1982, returned for the reunion tour in 1996 and then stayed until 2002 before departing again. His solo career remained active for decades, with albums like Anomaly and Space Invader finding success on the charts, along with his 2023 release 10,000 Volts. Frehley passed away on October 16, 2025, at age 74 after a fall that led to brain bleeding. His death was felt deeply across the music world, and Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons remembered him as an “irreplaceable rock soldier.”
Eric Carr (The Fox)
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Carr replaced Peter Criss, spending over a decade behind the drums in the band, from 1980 to 1991, when he tragically passed away at the age of 41 from heart cancer.
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