Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS reflected on the late Ace Frehley’s absence at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, with Gene believing Frehley was “watching and proud.”
Paul Stanley emphasized the importance of the original KISS lineup: “You can’t build something without a strong foundation. And Ace and Peter and Gene and I are that foundation.”
KISS receiving the Kennedy Center honor was described by Stanley as the culmination of decades of hard work, calling the band “products of the American dream.”
Donald Trump praised the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees, including KISS, as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center honorees ever assembled.”
Ace Frehley became the third person to receive a Kennedy Center Honor posthumously, with Gene Simmons expressing sorrow over his passing and acknowledging Ace’s legacy.
