Ace Frehley Said a Psychic Told KISS Cofounder ‘You’re Going to Live to Be a Hundred’ 7 Months Before Death at 74

Ace Frehley had an optimistic outlook on life in the months before his death.

The founding guitarist of KISS, who died on Thursday, Oct. 16, at age 74, sat down for an interview with The Aquarian in March 2025, where he talked about his gratitude for returning to the stage after an injury to his right arm threatened to end his career.

“I hurt my arm about two-and-a-half years ago – I fell down a flight of stairs,” he told the outlet. “It’s been a struggle because I landed on my right arm, and that’s the arm that I strum with when I play guitar. So it feels great to get up onstage because I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to get back to the way it used to be.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Frehley was in his native New York at the time of the interview, preparing to perform with his band. He felt good about continuing to perform and draw in new audiences, and spoke about his place in rock history with both modesty and pride.

“I think it’s going to live on for hundreds of years. I do what I do very well, and I have the respect of my peers,” he said.

In discussing his legacy, the guitarist opened up about a recent comment about longevity from his psychic.

“Luckily, I have good genes. My dad lived to be 96 and my mom lived to be 86, but her older sister lived to be 99. I mean, we have longevity in the family on both sides,” he said. “I just spoke to a psychic. She goes, ‘Ace, you’re going to live to be a hundred.’ So I said, ‘No problem!’ ”

Frehley — who was born in the Bronx, N.Y., as Paul Frehley — was known for his “Spaceman” persona and makeup in KISS, which he co-founded in 1973 and eventually left in 1982.

After leaving KISS, Frehley formed his own group called Frehley’s Comet, which put out two albums and launched a successful solo career that began in 1978 with a platinum-selling self-titled debut. With Space Invader in 2014, he became the only KISS member to crack the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart with a solo album, according to his biography.

He was dad to a daughter, Monique, with wife Jeanette, and said in a 2018 interview that it was Monique who’d inspired him to get sober in 2006.

Frehley’s family announced his death in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Thursday. Oct. 16, saying the rocker died earlier that day in Morristown, N.J., following a recent fall at his home. TMZ previously reported that the rocker was on life support due to a brain bleed caused by a fall several weeks ago.

“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.

“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!”