Happy birthday to Peter Criss, born on this day in 1945, and pictured here backstage at Cobo Hall in Detroit during the concert recording of Kiss Alive! on 16th May 1975. 12.20.1945 - George Peter John Criscuola a/k/a Peter Criss, the original drummer of KISS was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Williamsburg. Chris's played jazz and rock in several places in New York and New Jersey throughout the 1960s. It was during this time that Criss joined Chelsea, the group released a self-titled album in 1970. They never recorded a second album, and in August 1971 became Lips. By the spring of 1973, Criss placed an advertisement in the East Coast edition of Rolling Stone, seeking a group doing soft and hard music. The advertisement was answered by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, who were looking for new members for their band. Ace Frehley was added to the lineup in December 1972, and the band was named Kiss later that month. ..... Criss struggled with drug abuse through many of the years he was in the band. Although he was always credited as drummer, 1977's Love Gun and Alive II were the last Kiss albums on which he played throughout. On the 1979 release Dynasty, he only played on his own composition, "Dirty Livin',"[ and did not play at all on 1980's Unmasked. Anton Fig, who also played on Ace Frehley's solo album (and is now David Letterman's house drummer), was hired to play on both records. Peter's solo albums in the 1980 were commercial failures. For the rest of the 1980s and early 1990s, Criss was involved with a number of bands, each usually lasting less than a year. Peter's going to spend time raising his daughter! In April 1996, Kiss held a press conference to announce a reunion tour with all four original members. The 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour was an enormous success, and the reunited Kiss released a studio album, 1998's Psycho Circus. However, controversy arose when it was discovered that Criss only played drums on one track ("Into the Void," Ace Frehley's one lead vocal track). Many sources claim that Kevin Valentine performed on the rest of the drum tracks for the album. Criss did have one lead vocal. Tensions arose once again between Criss and Kiss. On October 7, 2000, at the end of the band's show in North Charleston, SC, Criss destroyed his drum kit on stage. Though fans thought it was part of the act, it was in reality an act of frustration on Criss' part. It was his last show on the tour, as he left over a contract dispute and was replaced by Eric Singer in 2001. He rejoined the band in late 2002 and appeared on the Kiss Symphony: Alive IV DVD and CD before departure from Kiss again in March 2004. The band had opted not to renew his contract following the Rocksimus Maximus Tour (which had them co-headlining with Aerosmith). He was once again replaced by Singer, who assumed Criss' "Catman" persona and who continues to perform with the band today. Peter Criss on Kiss performing with replacements for Ace Frehley and himself: "No matter who they get to put stuff on their face, it ain’t us. You can take the mask off the Lone Ranger and put it on someone else, but it ain’t the Lone Ranger." Well said Peter Criss... "Catman" You are so missed. 💔💋 ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
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