Criss Peter - Makeup to breakup: my life in and out of kiss

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For Loretta and Joe, my parents

P eter would like to thank:

My wonderful wife Gigi, whom I love to death and who is so very loving to me. You do so much for me. Your respect, positive outlook, clarity, and love for Jesus have helped me so much through life. Youre always doing things for others, never thinking about yourself. You are my hero.

My collaborator Larry Ratso Sloman. We spent long days and nights together at the Breakers hotel in our rooms overlooking the ocean. Ratso helped me through the sometimes painful process of documenting my life. I couldnt have done it without the best, and he is. I love this guy; hes truly unique. And thanks also to Christy, his lovely wife, who helped Ratso keep his sanity... well, at least attempted to.

Michael Harriot, my agent; Joel Weinstein, my lawyer; Brant Rumble, my editor; Brian Belfiglio, my publicist; and all the people at Scribner, my publisher. Thank you all for making one more of my dreams come true. I am truly grateful for all your hard work. Thanks also to my great personal publicist Lori Lousararian from Rogers and Cowan.

Charlie Kipps, who helped ignite the fuse for this book.

Mark Elliot. Thanks for the autographed book and your honesty and help.

Joey Scardino, his family, and everyone at the Breakers hotel in Spring Lake, New Jersey. I couldnt have picked a better place to search my heart and soul with Ratso. The generosity and respect you gave Ratso and me is hard to find today. Joe, you are one of a kind. Thank you. I really love this hotel. Its a place that always makes me feel at home. When you stay here you will find true peace of mind. It doesnt get better than this.

Thanks to my family: my mom and dad, my daughter Jenilee, my granddaughter Jordan, my nanna Clara, my grandpa George and his wife Pauline, my grandpa Peter and grandma Nancy, my uncle George and aunt Rosie and their daughter, Roseanne, my brother Joey and his wife Margie, my sisters Donna Donna and her husband Joe, Nancy and her husband Joe, Joanne and her husband Billy, the Criscuola, Brown, and Henry families, all my nieces and nephews, my ex-wives Debra McMurray and Lydia Criss, my mothers-in-law Georgia and Betty and Bettys husband Paul Svensk.

A special thank you to Tall Man and Angel, two of my bandmates in Criss. God bless you for being there when I needed a friend. Also special thanks to Tom Fontana, who always kept his word. Hes a man of dignity and honor. Im proud to be his friend. And thanks for Oz ! And to John Eyd, the greatest acting coach around. I couldnt have done Oz without you. ATI is the best!

Thanks always to the godparents of my daughter: Jeanette Frehley and Chris Lendt.

Thanks also to my Kiss family. Of course, Ace, Gene, and Paul, Bill Aucoin, Sean Delaney, Neal Bogart, Joyce Biawitz, Rosie Licata, John Hart, Eddie Balandas, Fritz Postlethwaite, J. R. Smalling, Moosey, Frankie Scinlaro, Billy Miller, Alan Miller and Ken Anderson, Tim Rozner, David Matthews, Baby Beth, and Trish, Lonnie Stoner, Eric Carr, Mark St. John, the Kulick brothers, Vinnie Vincent, Monique Frehley, Larry Harris, Don Wasley, Bucky, Susan Muneo, Jeff Franklin. Thanks to all our road crews, our truckers, our grips, and the lighting and pyro crews. Thanks always to Scott Shannon, whose support made Beth KISSs biggest hit single. Thanks to Bill Starkey and Jay Evans, who founded the great KISS Army, and to each and every fan and member who started the ball rolling on our amazing trip and who keep the flame alive today.

I cant forget my longtime writing partner Stan Penridge and his wife Nell and son Jesse, along with all the members of the Barracudas, the Sounds of Soul, Nautilus, Chelsea, Lips, and Criss.

Thanks to the great producers Ive worked withBob Ezrin, Eddie Kramer, Vini Poncia, David Wolfert, Kerner and Wise and Dito Godwin and the great musicians whove played with me, including Phil Naro, Paul Shafer, Will Lee, and Clifford Carter. Thanks to the legendary bands whove played with us, including Rush, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, Ted Nugent and his band, Skid Row, and Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band.

Thanks to the great photographers who have shot me over the years: Bob Gruen, Annie Leibowitz, Barry Levine, Norman Seeff, Francesco Scavullo, Lynn Goldsmith, and Eric Stephen Jacobs.

Thanks to my record labels over the years: Decca, Casablanca, Phonogram, Universal, Mercury, Sony Red, and Megaforce, and to the late Tony Nicole of TNT Records. And to New Line Cinema, Hanna-Barbera Productions, and NBC.

Thanks also to the Lombardi family at DW Drums, along with John Good and his wife Esther, and Garrison. Thanks to Pat Brown from ProMark drumsticks, Mr. Remo for his great drumheads, everyone at Zildjian Cymbals, Roxanne and everyone at Audiotechnica, and Modern Drummer magazine and the Guitar Center.

Thanks to my unions and associations: Local 802, ASCAP, SAGAFTRA, AFM, and Actors Equity.

Thanks to my great musician friends: Carmine Appice, Tommy Lee, Johnny 5, Vince Neil, Richie Scarlett (and his wife Joanne), and Markie Ramone, Rob Affuso, Chad Smith.

Thanks to everyone at Madison Square Garden, Larry London, Walt Johnson from Pearl, and everyone at Hawk Radio. Thanks to Mark Newman of Sony, everyone at MTV and VH1, especially Ed Trunk. Respect to Dick Clark, Bill Boyd, Charlie Hernandez from Aerosmith, Jim Chapin, and Sandy Gennaro.

Thanks to my friends Jerry Nolan and his mom Charlotte, Edward Mulvihill III (whom I miss dearly) and his wife Dottie, my number one fan Vinnie Gonzales and his wonderful mother Nancy, Marie Mullowney, Peter Arquette, John and Judy Belushi, Ernie Hudson, Tim Sullivan, Bob Nelson, Carol White, Bill Dooley and his wife, Eddie Rhines, Josselyne Herman-Saccio and her family, Tom Perkins, Chris Jennings, Jen Johnson, childhood friends Carol and Elvira, Tommy Gannon, George Davidson, Louie Demando, Peter Cudereski, George Saskus, Frank Doogan, the Rosploch family, the Cotter family, John, the 3rd of July gangSweet Richard, Richard and Maureen, Joyce, Ralph and Janine, John and Anita, also Carleen Tobin, and John Percuoco from Ladder 5 and his wife Sue. Thanks to Steve Ascione at Moto Photo in Wall Township and to Gail Winterstella at Gails Optical Shoppe. Thanks too to Helena and Dan, the Lortz family, Roseanne Barr and Tom Arnold.

I wouldnt be in one piece if it werent for all my (and Gigis) wonderful doctors. Thanks to my dearest friend and doctor Terry Hammer and his daughter Katie, my angel Dr. Alex Swistel and his wife Pat, Dr. Alton Barron and his wife Carrie, Dr. Steven Glickel, Dr. Gae Rodke, Dr. Lowe, Dr. Ray Hanbury, Dr. Daniel Smith, DeDe, Dr. Brian Klohn and his wife Robin, and Dr. Karen Lindsay.

Always thanks to Mother Mary.

R atso would like to thank:

The Catman, who opened his heart and plumbed his memories and who always told the truth, warts and all. Your journey has been truly epic and Im privileged to have been able to chronicle it.

Gigi Criss, for all your help, and your great home cooking and hospitality!

Mike Harriot, agent extraordinaire, Brant Rumble for his judicious editing, Joel Weinstein and Eric Rayman, the voices of reason, and everyone at Scribner for shepherding this book to the marketplace.