Peter Criss
The original Catman of Kiss, whose thunderous drumming and raw lead vocal on 'Beth' helped define the band's chaotic, theatrical glory.
Born 1945 (age 81)·American drummer and singer·Birthday: December 20·The Silent Generation
Biography
Before the makeup and pyrotechnics, Peter Criss was a streetwise drummer from Brooklyn with a love for jazz and a raspy, soulful voice. Co-founding Kiss with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, he created the Catman persona—a sly, whiskered counterpart to the Demon and Starchild. His drumming provided a loose, swinging backbone to the band's early hard rock anthems. Against all odds, his greatest contribution was a ballad: 'Beth,' a plaintive song he co-wrote and sang. Released as a B-side, it became Kiss's biggest hit, softening their image and proving their pop reach. Internal tensions and his own struggles led to his departure in 1980, but his mark was indelible. The original quartet's 1996 reunion tour was a record-shattering phenomenon, reintroducing the world to the primal power of the Catman's beat.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Peter was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peter Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Peter's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 81 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the rock band Kiss and created the iconic Catman persona and makeup.
- Sang lead on 'Beth,' which became Kiss's highest-charting single, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Kiss in 2014.
Did You Know?
His stage surname, Criss, is a shortened version of his real surname, Criscuola.
He is a left-handed drummer but plays a right-handed drum kit.
He survived a battle with breast cancer, undergoing a mastectomy in 2008.
“I was the first guy in makeup, the first guy in platform heels. I was the guy.”
