12/20/2025
🥁 Happy 80th Birthday to the Founding Catman, Peter Criss! 🐱✨The original heart and soul behind the drums for KISS, Criss is a true Brooklyn original. George Peter John Criscuola enters his ninth decade & his legacy as a rock and roll pioneer is more vibrant than ever.
While famous for his steady, jazz-influenced drumming, Peter gave KISS some of its most emotionally resonant moments with his signature "sandpaper" vocals: "Beth": The power ballad that changed everything! Co-written and sung by Peter, it remains the highest-charting single in KISS history and earned the band a People’s Choice Award. 🌹 The epic closing anthem of the early KISS shows, where Peter’s raw, soulful voice proved that the guy behind the kit was just as much a frontman as anyone else. "Hard Luck Woman": Showing off his range and his love for a more acoustic, Rod Stewart-inspired sound, this track became another definitive Top 20 hit.
This has been a profoundly significant year for the Catman. Just earlier this month, Peter stood proudly alongside Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley to receive the Kennedy Center Honors, one of the highest cultural recognitions in the United States. It was a well-deserved "standing ovation" from the world for five decades of influence. 🏅
However, this celebration comes with a heavy heart. Following the tragic passing of his "brother" and fellow founding member Ace Frehley in October, Peter has been a pillar of strength for the KISS Army. He and his wife, Gigi, were by Ace’s side in his final moments, a testament to a bond that began in a New York rehearsal space over 50 years ago and truly lasted a lifetime. 🎸🌌
We can never forget the story that started it all: Peter famously placed an ad in Rolling Stone magazine looking for a band "willing to do anything to make it." Gene and Paul called, and the rest was "Kisstory." From studying under jazz legend Gene Krupa to becoming a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Peter has truly done it all.
Peter is also a proud breast cancer survivor, using his platform to raise awareness and prove that the Catman truly does have nine lives! Thank you for the beat, the soul, and the memories. What is your favorite Peter Criss song or Catman memory? Let’s celebrate him in the comments! 👇
