PETER CRISS Says ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME Was Right To Only Induct Original Members Of KISS

Australia's Loud recently conducted an interview with original KISS drummer Peter Criss. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Loud: Other original members of KISS have expressed their views, but why do you believe it took so many years for the band to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

Peter: "All you've gotta do, I guess, is read our books. It's not a secret, there was just not good blood amongst us the first time around… And we should have went in way back when and we didn't. That's all I got to say about it. I don't really get into the thing about it, 'cause we'd be here for hours discussing it. I was just happy for the kid from Brooklyn. I did not grow up wealthy, I grew up really tough. To be inducted, I felt very honored. I was like, 'Wow, I've really worked hard for this.' Besides being in the band, I myself as a musician have worked many, many years playing and writing music. And I just felt, 'wow!' And it's in my hometown Brooklyn. It was a great honor. I wish my parents were able to see it."

Loud: Were you at all disappointed that the likes of Bruce Kulick, Eric Carr and Eric Singer weren't inducted? Or should it have just been the original quartet?

Peter: "I think it was just the original four. We're the guys who started it, we're the guys who got [together] back in '72 playing in the loft, we're the guys who put on the make-up, we're the guys who made it with the make-up. [Laughs] We're the guys who came out with all the earlier, all the first five big albums. Definitely the four of us should only be inducted."

Loud: Looking back on your career with KISS, what do you feel is your place within the band's history? Or how do you hope the fans remember your tenure?

Peter: "I think I've made a really good mark in history, Kisstory, whatever you want to call it, in the rock 'n' roll business. Because I've been awarded many awards for my making other drummers want to sing and drum. That's a big deal to me. I've got a lot of awards with the boys. We've got a lot of gold and platinum records, I've got a lot of cool stuff. I love my People's Choice award for 'Beth'. But my awards were when I see drummers like Steven Adler, Marky Ramone, the list could go on and on, that pay homage to me and they all when I see them go, 'Man, if not for you, I wouldn't be playing drums today.' That knocks me out, 'cause I know I've made a mark in the world of drums, as drummers and singing drummers because there's a hell of a lot of them doing it today because of Peter Criss. Not knocking KISS, but because of Peter Criss. And I'm proud of that."

Loud: What are the plans after these final performances?

Peter: "I want to do this [Australian show], and I want to do the one at my home in New York. I've been working on a couple of books that I really want to finish. I've been back to my art, so I've been painting again. My wife really loves the way I paint, so I've gone back to that and really enjoying it. I have an album I've been sitting on for nine years now, a rock thing that I started before my cancer. I didn't really finish it, but all the music's done. And I feel I'm going to come home after my last show and I'm gonna finish it. Hopefully it'll come out next year."

Read the entire interview at Loud.