At the 15th annual Beauty Ball, hosted by The Beauty Foundation For Cancer Care, original KISS drummer Peter Criss surprised attendees with an impromptu rendition of the 1930s classic “Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)”
This event took place on August 26 in Eatontown, New Jersey. The special guest host and performer of the evening was Joe Piscopo. The event served as a platform to honor various individuals, including DonnaLyn Giegerich-Zapcic (posthumously), who was represented by Thomas Zapcic. Ann Mazza was recognized with the 2023 Unsung Hero Award, and Daniel Ranger received the 2023 Peter Criss Man Of Courage Award.
A video capturing Peter Criss‘s performance can be viewed below, made available courtesy of Neil Davis and Ed Shin on Facebook. Peter Criss, who is now 77 years old, initially departed KISS in 1980. Following this, he engaged with other musical projects, delving into solo albums and collaborations. He embarked on a reunion tour with KISS in the 1990s and, more recently, in 2004, though he was succeeded by Eric Singer. In addition to his drumming role within KISS, Criss showcased his vocal prowess in several of the band’s iconic tracks, including “Beth,” “Black Diamond,” and “Hard Luck Woman.”
Under his moniker “Catman,” Criss released his final solo album, “One For All,” in 2007. For the first time, he assumed the role of producer, enlisting notable guest musicians like keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of “Late Night With David Letterman.” This album boasted a diverse array of styles ranging from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, encompassing covers such as “What A Difference A Day Makes” and “Send In The Clowns.”
Criss marked what was promoted as his ultimate full U.S. concert in June 2017 at the Cutting Room in New York City, signifying a poignant moment in his storied musical career.
KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons says original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley both turned down the offer to play at the band’s final shows in New York.
Speaking with Linea Rock in a recent interview, Gene Simmons was asked if original KISS members Ace Frehley (guitar) and Peter Criss (drums) would be making appearances at the band’s final concerts in December at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He responded: “For the fans — the older, older fans — the ones who’ve been around for 50 years, they’re old, and some of them wanna see Ace and Peter. The newer fans never saw them and they don’t know. But the older fans wonder about Ace and Peter.
“Well, I asked both Ace and Peter a few times: ‘Do you wanna come out for the encores? Do you wanna do some shows?’ And they both said ‘no.’ So, I don’t know what to say about that… But it’s always welcome. But there are many other big stars, superstars, who wanna jump up onstage and play a song. But we’re not sure about that. Maybe the best thing to do is to end the way we started: four guys with guitars. No keyboards, no synthesizers — nothing. Just playing.”
The final dates for KISS‘s North American tour will commence in October and finally wrap at the Madison Square Garden concerts on December 1 and December 2.