PETER CRISS: Breast Cancer Not Just For Women

November 23, 2009

Former KISS drummer Peter Criss recently spoke to the Associated Press about the stigma of being a man battling breast cancer. Watch the chat below.

While some men feel embarrassed because of "this macho crap," Criss told CNN surviving breast cancer was actually a blessing. He was treated before the tumor could spread and said he's speaking about male breast cancer now — during National Breast Cancer Awareness month — to raise the profile of this rare disease.

Criss, who played drums for KISS and was known as "Catman," offered this advice to men who spot lumps in their breast: "Don't sit around playing Mr. Tough Guy. Don't say 'It's going to go away.' It might not and you might not see life anymore and how beautiful that is."

Criss, who is currently working on an autobiography as well as a new rock album, told Reuters his bout with cancer had affected his songwriting.

"My lyrics are not so deep and dismal," he said. One of the tracks on the album, expected next spring, is called "Hard Rock Knockers".

Regarding the fact that his old KISS bandmates, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, are currently on a North American tour of arenas with two new band members, one in the make-up of Criss' "Catman" character and the other as ex-guitarist Ace Frehley's "Spaceman," Peter told Reuters, "You want to put two clones up there in our makeup, that's great. Must I keep putting spandex and makeup on at 70 — I don't think I really want to do that."

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