Jeremy Asbrock, a guitarist and vocalist who performed in Ace Frehley’s solo band, has shared details of what he described as his final conversation with the late KISS founding member.

In a new interview with Metal Mayhem ROC., Asbrock recalled speaking to Frehley by phone roughly 12 hours before what he said was a subsequent fall, framing the exchange as one that stayed with him because of its emotional closeness.

Recalling the last exchange, Asbrock said Frehley told him he was planning to attend an AA meeting that night and that he expected to see him the following weekend, before messaging afterward to say the call had “lifted” his spirits.

“Okay, this is pretty heavy, but it’s still a story that I like to tell,” Asbrock said. “I talked to him on the phone 12 hours before he fell. This was after his first fall and I was just checking in because I had not talked to him since. You know he was doing good.”

Asbrock said he replied with “I love you,” and that Frehley responded with a similar message, describing it as the last thing he ever communicated to him. He added that the experience changed how freely he expresses affection to friends and colleagues, saying you never know when a final conversation will happen.

“He was going to an AA meeting that night and just like, ‘Okay, well cool, man. I’ll see you next weekend,’” he recalled. “We got off the phone and he messaged me immediately. He said, ‘Man, thanks for the call. It really lifted my spirits.’ I said, ‘Of course, man. I love you.’ Then he messaged me back, you know, love you too, brother. That was the last thing I ever said to Ace. I love you.”

“It made me not shy about telling people that more often because man, you never know when that’s the last time,” Asbrock concluded. “I feel really good that the last thing I ever said to Ace and the last thing he ever heard me or read me say to him was, I love you.”

News about Frehley’s death has continued to prompt tributes and reflections within the KISS orbit, including reports that Gene Simmons saw Ace Frehley’s open casket while paying his respects.

Asbrock’s story underscores how band dynamics extend beyond rehearsals and stage time, particularly for artists navigating health struggles and personal recovery. For fans, it adds a personal snapshot of Frehley’s final period and the relationships that surrounded him away from the spotlight.