Drummer Scot Coogan Honors Late Ace Frehley, Vows Proceeds to Animal Charities

Scot Coogan spent weeks in deliberate silence after Ace Frehley died on October 16, 2025. When he finally published a statement, the drummer made one thing clear: every dollar connected to Frehley's name, music, or likeness coming his way would be donated to an animal charity.

"I have remained silent intentionally — to give my crew, management, and most importantly Ace's family the time and respect they deserve to grieve without noise, speculation, or opportunism," Coogan wrote. He went further, saying he has "absolutely no interest in profiting from his name, likeness, or legacy," and pledged that "any money that comes to me connected to Ace's name, music, or likeness will be donated to an animal charity in his honor."

The pledge reflects Frehley's well-known love of animals and stands in pointed contrast to the faster-moving tributes organized elsewhere. Other former Frehley band members have announced a 2026 Australian tribute tour with a U.S. preview booked for April 17 at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee. SiriusXM host Eddie Trunk received permission from Frehley's family to organize a tribute show and fan celebration, though no specific details have been announced.

Frehley, born Paul Daniel Frehley on April 27, 1951, in New York, co-founded KISS in 1973 and played as the band's original lead guitarist until 1982, then rejoined from 1996 to 2002. His Spaceman persona and pyrotechnic stage show, featuring guitars that glowed, emitted smoke, and fired rockets, made him one of rock's most iconic live performers. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee as a member of KISS, he was 74 at his death, the first of the band's four original founders, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Frehley himself, to die. The Morris County Medical Examiner ruled his death accidental: blunt force trauma to the head from a fall at his home. He passed away in Morristown, New Jersey, after a period on life support, with a private memorial held October 21 at Sinatra Memorial Home in Yonkers, New York, and a funeral on October 23 in the Bronx.

The industry reaction was immediate. KISS called Frehley "an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier." Tom Morello wrote that "the legendary Space Ace Frehley inspired generations to love rock and roll and love rock and roll guitar playing." Gene Simmons drew sharp backlash for suggesting Frehley's death resulted from "bad decisions" before issuing a public apology on X: "I was wrong for using the words I used. I humbly apologize. My hand to God I didn't intend to hurt Ace."

Coogan's connection to Frehley stretched back to 2006, making him the guitarist's longest-serving solo-band drummer and lead vocalist. Frehley fired him around 2018, reportedly telling him, "You're losing a rock star," but the two reunited on April 29, 2023, at the Reg Lenna Center For The Arts in Jamestown, New York. Frehley acknowledged it from the stage that night: "I got my old drummer back, Scoty Coogan. He played with me for 10 years… then we parted company. Actually, this is the first time we've played together in five years." Coogan remained through Frehley's death in October 2025.

A Las Vegas-based multi-instrumentalist, Coogan's resume spans Brides of Destruction (featuring Nikki Sixx and Tracii Guns), Blue Man Group, Sinéad O'Connor, and Vanilla Ice, along with serving as a counselor at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. He is currently recording in Los Angeles and performing with a Led Zeppelin tribute project, keeping busy while holding the line on how Frehley's name gets used.