Biography

Peter Criss is the former drummer for the hard rock super-group "KISS", best known for his "cat" character and thumping drum solos. Criss was born Peter George John Crisscoula on December 20th, 1945 in Brooklyn, New York. He was influenced by the 1940s big band sound and was quite keen on Gene Krupa's unique drumming style.

In early 1973, Criss placed an ad in the "Village Voice" stating "Drummer willing to do anything to make it". The ad was noticed by two other aspiring musicians and Criss successfully auditioned in front of bassist Gene Simmons and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley (lead guitarist Ace Frehley had yet to become a member}. After mediocre success from their first three albums, Kiss Alive (a double live album) was released in 1974, and the roller coaster ride had begun! KISS was the most successful US group from 1975 to 1980 with platinum-selling albums and sold-out stadium tours. However, cracks started to appear in the band and Peter Criss was fired in 1980. He released two solo albums, "Out of Control" and "Let Me Rock You", but both were commercial failures. Criss' close friend, Ace Frehley similarly left KISS in 1982 and met with only slightly better success than Criss, releasing several hard rock albums by his own group ("Frehley's Comet").

Interestingly, Criss was the subject of a tabloid scandal in 1991, when a national tabloid claimed Criss was penniless and living under a pier in Santa Monica. The drama unfolded on the "Phil Donahue Show" with Criss, the impostor, and other concerned parties involved in a heated verbal match!

After several years of icy relations between ex-founding members Frehley / Criss and current members Simmons / Stanley, all four original members reunited for a 1995 MTV Unplugged Special that was met with huge interest, prompting a full-blown reunion tour (KISS - Alive Worldwide), the biggest-grossing tour of 1996/97. Due to that success, the band toured relentlessly into the new century. But Peter Criss was experiencing inflammation in his forearms. In addition, his relationship with Simmons / Stanley had become untenable. He was replaced by another former KISS drummer, Eric Singer, in 2001. Criss stated on his website in April 2004 that he was permanently finished as the drummer of KISS.