Thursday, November 28, 2013

Things You Never Knew About...

Peter Criss
Here are some things you may or may not have known about Peter George John Criscoula, who would later become Peter Criss, the "Catman" drummer of Kiss

He's a breast cancer survivor
-After discovering his wife Gigi had a cancer in her ovaries in 2008, this made him paranoid about cancer. He was under the impression men could not get breast cancer. So he stripped down and gave himself an inspection to check for anything suspicious. Sure enough, there was a lump on his chest. After going to the doctor, he was told it was breast cancer. After having a successful lumpectomy, he supports the Susan G. Komen Foundation every year by walking in the Walk for a Cure Race and also did an ad on TV, encouraging men to get checked for breast cancer












 
 
 
 
 
 
 
His makeup was inspired by his life growing up
-Believing he was like a cat, having nine lives growing up in Brooklyn, this inspired him to become the "Catman" in Kiss
Was hired by Kiss because of an ad he placed
-The Village Voice was the East Coast version of Rolling Stone. It was where musicians could place ads to get hired. And Peter placed an ad in there after his band, Lips, fell apart. "EXPD. ROCK & roll drummer looking for orig. grp. doing soft & hard music. Peter, Brooklyn". When Gene Simmons called him, he started asking Criss things like "Are you fat?" "Are you good looking?"

Took up an acting career in his post-Kiss days
-After leaving Kiss, he took up a little acting. Mostly small stuff, like appearing in the 1999 film Detroit Rock City, appearing as a police officer on the episode "Thirteen Years Later" of the TV show Millennium and playing an inmate named Martin 'Marty' Montgomery on the show Oz and appearing in the movie Frame of Mind, about the JFK assassination, where he played a character named Mike
As 'Marty' Montgomery on Oz
Frame of Mind
He's a gun enthusiast
-He collects guns and this clearly made a lot of attention for himself when the band was on the Tomorrow Show. He says he target shoots, and does not hunt

Was abused by the nuns at his Catholic school
-At Transfiguration, his Catholic school, he was abused by the nuns. He was locked in a closet for hours on end, made to sit in his own waste because he was not allowed to go the bathroom and he came home to a severely abusive grandmother who beat him senseless, until he bled from every hole in his body, including his private parts

The song "Beth" was originally titled "Beck"
-Inspired by a woman named Rebecca, the girlfriend of a former band mate, who constantly called, interrupting sessions, Criss was inspired to write a song, and somehow, the words he chose, turned it into a very touching love song

Sued The National Enquirer in 1995
-In 1995, the National Enquirer printed a story stating he was a homeless drunk living on the beach. When in reality, it was someone who claimed to be him. This stunt ruined his life until he had to prove he was the REAL Peter Criss

Loves big band jazz music
-Growing up in a house where this kind of music is popular, being out Kiss gave Criss a chance to focus on the music he loves- big band jazz music, especially Gene Krupa, a musician he loved and was inspired by growing up

Only has 1 child
-Has a daughter named Jennilee, born to Debra Jensen, a former model

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