KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has died aged 74 after suffering a fall at home last month, his family has said.
The rock icon is believed to have been on life support after he had sustained a bleed on the brain.
Earlier reports say he had been on a ventilator for some time and his family were said to be considering turning off the support, TMZ reports.
It is believed the 74-year-old musician was still on the ventilator as of Thursday afternoon.
In a statement, Frehley’s family said: “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’s representative Lori Lousararian told Rolling Stone that the musician died following a “recent fall at his home” though details beyond that were not immediately clear.
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Frehley was a founding member of KISS, teaming up with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss and was part of the line-up between 1972 and 1982.
They applied face paint to create four enduring characters – Demon, Starchild, Spaceman and Catman.
The iconic guitarist was known for his “Spaceman” persona with the band becoming a household name.
Frehley left the group in 1982 amid creative differences.
A year after he left, KISS appeared without face paint for the first time and enjoyed something of a resurgence.
This was known as their “unmasking”.
In the mean time, Frehley had gone solo, eventually forming the band Frehley’s Comet, his own nickname being “The Spaceman”.
The rocker’s new band played from 1984 to 1988.
But Frehley then rejoined KISS for their 1996 reunion tour and remained with them until 2002.
The legendary guitarist helped shape many of the bands hits, including Detroit Rock City, Rock and Roll All Nite and I Was Made for Lovin’ You.
Between 1974 and 1975, KISS released three albums – Kiss, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill – which built a cult following of dedicated fans who called themselves the “Kiss Army.”
KISS found commercial success with their 1975 live album Alive!, which went platinum four times over.
It gave the band their first top 40 hit with the live version of a previous single Rock and Roll All Nite.
In the early 1980s Frehley became sidelined, as Criss left the band and Stanley and Simmons formed a tighter unit.
Among his solo career he is known for his cover of Back in the New York Groove and Into the Night.
Having rejoined KISS and undertaken a reunions tour, Frehley’s last performance with the band was at the closing ceremony for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The troubling news about Frehley comes just days after his KISS bandmate Simmons broke his silence following a frightening car crash in Malibu.
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The 76-year-old star was hospitalized last week after apparently passing out while driving down Pacific Coast Highway and slamming into a parked car.
Simmons was treated at a local hospital and later released, telling fans he’s “completely fine”.
