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Eric Carr
Eric Carr (1950-1991) was the drummer in Kiss from 1980 until his death in 1991.
Background information
Birth name	Paul Charles Caravello
Born	July 12, 1950
Died	November 24, 1991 (aged 41)
Genre(s)	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Drums, Vocals, Bass, Guitar and Piano
Years active	1979 - 1991
Associated acts	Kiss
Website	http://www.ericcarr.com/

Paul Charles Caravello (July 12, 1950 - November 24, 1991), better known as Eric Carr, was an American musician, best known as drummer for the rock band Kiss. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Carr-promo. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1970. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... “Instrumentalist” redirects here. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1970. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... For the comic book character, see Drummer (comics). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1970. ...

Following two albums that alienated many fans with their departure in style (1979's Dynasty and 1980's Unmasked), and a falling-out with Peter Criss over his substance abuse problems and unreliability, Kiss held open auditions for a new drummer. Criss had not recorded an entire studio album with Kiss since 1977's Love Gun. Singles from Dynasty Released: May 1979 Released: 1979 Released: 1979 Dynasty is a studio album by the American hard rock band Kiss. ... Unmasked is an album by the American band Kiss released in 1980. ... Peter Criss (born George Peter John Criscuola--pronounced Chris-cola-- on December 20, 1945), is an American musician best known as co-founder, drummer, vocalist for the rock band KISS. Peter Criss established the cat character for his KISS persona. ... Love Gun is an album by the American hard rock band Kiss. ...

At the time of his audition, Paul Caravello was repairing stoves for a living, while playing drums in a variety of bands. He was the last drummer to audition for the band and even asked Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley for autographs, believing he had little chance of being chosen. He was chosen and since there were already two members of Kiss with the name Paul (Stanley and Paul "Ace" Frehley) a name change was needed. He decided that he wanted his name to "sound" correct whenever the four members of Kiss names' were spoken. Except for Peter Criss, all of the original members of Kiss have one syllable in their first name (Ace, Gene & Paul) and two syllables in their last name (Frehley, Simmons & Stanley). Peter Criss had two syllables in his first name and only one in his last name. Paul Caravello's girlfriend at the time decided that whatever name they came up with for him, it must follow this pattern of two syllables in the first name and one syllable in the last name so it would "sound correct" when people said the names of the members of Kiss. After considering monikers such as Rusty Blades, he decided upon "Eric Carr." For his Kiss persona, Carr was first made up as "The Hawk," which he didn't like, and later adopted the persona of "The Fox", with his makeup design reflecting the character. Eric was also part of the band's well-publicized removal of their stage makeup in 1983. This article is about the metal musician. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. ...

Eric's first album with the group was 1981's Music From "The Elder", which marked yet another departure for the band, in a mystical art-rock direction. His contribution to the album, "Under the Rose", featured a Gregorian Chant-style chorus. He would also have co-writer credits on Lick it Up's "All Hell's Breakin' Loose," Animalize's "Under the Gun," and Crazy Night's "No, No, No." Alternate cover Japan only full Obi album cover Music from The Elder is a 1981 concept album released by the American hard rock band Kiss. ...

Carr is often cited by fans as a favorite among drummers in the band's history, for his intense playing style and incredible timing, which was radically different from the soft-by-comparison jazz-influenced technique of Criss. Carr's style is featured most prominently on 1982's Creatures of the Night and has not been duplicated since. Aside from his amazing drumming skills he also had a musical approach to his ability to play other instruments. Alternate cover The 1985 re-release cover pictures new lead guitarist Bruce Kulick (bottom right) Creatures of the Night is a 1982 album from U.S. hard rock band Kiss. ...

Carr, in his Fox make-up, from the "I Love It Loud" video in 1982.

Aside from his legendary drum skills, Eric was also a talented vocalist, and was given the chance to showcase that ability when the Kiss classic "Beth" (originally vocalized by Peter Criss) was re-recorded for the 1988 compilation album Smashes, Thrashes & Hits. Eric recorded his version of the song using the same backing track as Criss, and reportedly sat on the same drum throne as Criss did to record the song. His first lead vocal on a self-penned, studio album track was "Little Caesar," in 1989. Carr's last live performance with Kiss was November 9, 1990 in New York City, at Madison Square Garden. Image File history File links ILIL-Carr. ... Image File history File links ILIL-Carr. ... The picture cover of the I Love It Loud single is similar in design to the Creatures of the Night album cover. ... See also: 1982 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1982 Record labels established in 1982 list of years in music // January 15 - K.C. and the Sunshine Bands Harry Wayne Casey is seriously injured in an automobile accident in Miami, Florida. ... Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is a greatest hits album by the American hard rock band KISS. It was the second such album released by the band in the United States (Killers was not released in the United States originally). ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1970. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ...

Music career

Eric Carr was influenced by John Bonham of Led Zeppelin and Ringo Starr of The Beatles. Carr idolized Ringo when he first saw The Beatles and wanted to be like him. This is best demonstrated in many photographs of him during his high school years as he wore his hair like the famed Beatles drummer. His interest in double bass drumming came from his admiration of Ginger Baker. Carr also had a love of all types of music as songwriter Adam Mitchell once described Carr as knowing a lot about folk, r & b and other non-rock styles. John Henry Bonzo Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980) was an English drummer and member of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... For the bands 1969 eponymous debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Richard Starkey Jr, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for The Beatles. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ...

Carr was working as on oven repair man when Peter Criss left Kiss. Carr, who had been playing in cover bands throughout the 1970s, was told by a former bandmate that he should audition for Kiss. Taking his advice, Carr purchased a copy of Unmasked to get information on getting in touch with Kiss's management, and after submitting an application (a day after the deadline), he met with Kiss manager Bill Aucoin who advised Carr to shave off his moustache for the audition for fear the band "wouldn't be able to see past it". Peter Criss (born George Peter John Criscuola--pronounced Chris-cola-- on December 20, 1945), is an American musician best known as co-founder, drummer, vocalist for the rock band KISS. Peter Criss established the cat character for his KISS persona. ... Unmasked is an album by the American band Kiss released in 1980. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

After passing the audition, the band had some trouble coming up with a character persona and a stage name. He originally considered going by the name "Rusty Blades," until he decided on Eric Carr, noting that all of the original members of Kiss had three syllables in their names, two in the first name, and one in the last. Carr, was shortened from his birth name Caravello, and he chose Eric since he always liked the name.

Carr also played guitar, bass guitar, piano and sang both lead vocal & background vocals. While Kiss made little effort to showcase his diverse musical talents, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick along with Carr's family released Carr's first and only solo album in 1999 titled Rockology, which featured many demos that Kulick and Carr worked on together along with songwriter and friend Adam Mitchell. The CD features several songs with Carr on lead vocals as well as on bass guitar along with Kulick on guitars and Mitchell assisting Carr with many of the background vocals. Most fams comment on his emotional lead vocal performance on the beautiful balled "Somebody's Waiting" as well as the haunting vocal and keyboard performance he offers on "Tierra," a song that he originally wrote for his Rockheads cartoon show. Rockology is an album by former KISS drummer Eric Carr released in 1999. ...

Carr's impact as a drummer is something that was not fully appreciated until after his death. Further, upon reuniting with the original members, fans got to see original drummer Peter Criss interpret many of Carr's performances on songs like "I Love It Loud," "Lick It Up," and "Heaven's on Fire" and noticed again, the lack of power and musical presence. Gene Simmons had said that Carr pushed Kiss to be a heavier band and many die hard Kiss fans saw such a reality live and upon seeing many of the audio cassettes and videos that made their way into the bootleg market. Carr's interpretation of classic Kiss songs were unique as he often did not play Criss' grooves and fills as they were originally done. The picture cover of the I Love It Loud single is similar in design to the Creatures of the Night album cover. ... For other uses, see Lick It Up (disambiguation). ... Heavens on Fire is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, first released on their 1984 album Animalize. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ...

On his first few tours he incorporated tasteful fills along with strong double bass grooves along with a strong stage presence as he involved the crowds with his solos. By 1985 he added drum pads to his kit that played custom made pitches that he used not only at the end of songs but also as a tool to play riffs along with him during his drum solo. On his last tour with Kiss he used not only the drumming and electronics that fans had come to expect but also added sequencing to his solo and was able to imitate a band without the assistance of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons or Bruce Kulick. This was never seen again by any Kiss drummer following his death. The song "Little Caesar" from Hot in the Shade is the only original Kiss track to feature Carr as lead vocalist. This article is about the metal musician. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... Bruce Kulick (born on December 12, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist best known for his work in Kiss. ... Little Caesar is a KISS song from their 1989 album Hot in the Shade. ... Hot in the Shade is a Kiss album released in 1989. ... Harry Belafonte singing, photograph by C. van Vechten Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with speech. ...

Death

Following the tour for the album Hot in the Shade, Eric began having problems with his health. Diagnosed with an unexpectedly serious condition, cancer of the heart, he underwent surgeries to remove tumors in his right atrium and lungs in an effort to restore heart function and prevent the cancer's growth. Despite aggressive treatment, Carr's condition did not improve, and on November 24, 1991, Eric Carr died (the same day as Freddie Mercury) at the age of 41. Hot in the Shade is a Kiss album released in 1989. ... In anatomy, the atrium (plural: atria) refers to a chamber or space. ... The tricuspid valve is on the right side of the heart, between the right atrium and the right ventricle. ... is the 328th day of the year (329th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Queen (inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). ...

Eric's last recording with Kiss was for the song "God Gave Rock 'N Roll To You II", which featured him on backing vocals. His health had declined to the point where he was unable to play drums for the recording session, and Eric Singer (who had played previously in Paul Stanley's solo band) was brought in, though Carr appeared in the video for the song. However, when asked if he could come back to the fold, Simmons told Carr that 'you need to concern yourself with getting better first.' At that point, a distraught Carr ceased communication with Kiss. Eric Singer would eventually replace Carr permanently. God Gave Rock N Roll To You II is a song by the American hard rock band KISS. It was released on their 1992 album Revenge and as a single in 1991. ... For the screenwriter, see Eric Singer (screenwriter). ...

As a tribute, the group's 1992 release Revenge featured what is said to be the only drum solo Carr ever recorded with the band, titled "Carr Jam 1981", a jam session recorded for the "Music From The Elder" sessions (Ace's original guitar part was overdubbed by Bruce Kulick). Much of the soloing was seasoned during Kiss' 1980 Unmasked Tour of Europe & Australia and put down during The Elder sessions since that album was recorded following that tour. Revenge was also dedicated to Carr. Revenge is a studio album by Kiss, released in 1992. ...

Carr's girlfriend during the last part of his life was future Playboy playmate Carrie Stevens. He is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newburgh, New York. For other uses, see Playboy (disambiguation). ... Carrie Stevens is an American model and actress, born May 1, 1969 in Buffalo, New York. ... Coordinates: , Country United States of America State New York County Orange Settled 1709 Incorporated (village) 1800 Incorporated (City) 1865 Government  - Type Council-manager  - City Manager Jean McGrane  - Mayor Nick Valentine Area  - City  4. ...

Discography

• Music From "The Elder" (November 1981)
• Killers (May 1982) (non-U.S. compilation featuring four newly recorded tracks)
• Creatures of the Night (October 1982)
• Lick It Up (September 1983)
• Animalize (September 1984)
• Asylum (September 1985)
• Crazy Nights (September 1987)
• Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (November 1988) (vocals on remake of "Beth")
• Hot in the Shade (October 1989) (drums on entire album, lead vocals on "Little Caesar")
• Revenge (May 1992) (backing vocals on "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" & drums on "Carr Jam 1981")
• You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (Japanese version & U.S. Vinyl) (July 1996) (drums on "New York Groove")
• Rockology (April 2000)
• The Box Set (November 2001) (features Carr on discs 3-5)
• The Very Best of Kiss (August 2002) (drums on tracks 18-20, backing vocals on 21)
• The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection (June 2004)
• Gold (January 2005) (drums on disc 2; tracks 18-20)

Alternate cover Japan only full Obi album cover Music from The Elder is a 1981 concept album released by the American hard rock band Kiss. ... Killers is a greatest hits album by American hard rock group Kiss. ... Alternate cover The 1985 re-release cover pictures new lead guitarist Bruce Kulick (bottom right) Creatures of the Night is a 1982 album from U.S. hard rock band Kiss. ... For other uses, see Lick It Up (disambiguation). ... Animalize is an album by the American hard rock/heavy metal band Kiss. ... Asylum is an album by the American hard rock band Kiss. ... For the album by country music group Lonestar, see Crazy Nights (Lonestar album). ... Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is a greatest hits album by the American hard rock band KISS. It was the second such album released by the band in the United States (Killers was not released in the United States originally). ... Hot in the Shade is a Kiss album released in 1989. ... Little Caesar is a KISS song from their 1989 album Hot in the Shade. ... Revenge is a studio album by Kiss, released in 1992. ... God Gave Rock N Roll To You II is a song by the American hard rock band KISS. It was released on their 1992 album Revenge and as a single in 1991. ... You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! is a greatest hits album released by the American hard rock band KISS. The album was issued to coincide with the groups 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour. ... New York Groove is a song written by Russ Ballard and performed by Ace Frehley on his self titled record in 1978 (originally recorded by Hello 1975). ... Rockology is an album by former KISS drummer Eric Carr released in 1999. ... The Box Set is a five-CD box set by American hard rock group KISS. It was released in 2001, and its contents span the groups career from 1971 (as the pre-KISS band, Wicked Lester) through 1999. ... The Very Best of KISS is a compilation album by the rock band KISS. It was released on August 27, 2002. ... Gold is a collection of hard rockers KISS greatest hits from the early 70s, to the late 80s. ...

Other Albums featuring Eric Carr

• Bryan Adams: Cuts Like a Knife - Co-wrote "Don't Leave Me Lonely"
• Wendy O. Williams: W.O.W. - Drums on "Legends Never Die" and co-wrote "Ain't None of Your Business"
• Frehley's Comet: Frehley's Comet - Co-wrote "Breakout"
• PROPHECY: A Tribute to Eric Carr - Radio ID and performed "Your Turn to Cry"

For other persons of the same name, see Brian Adams. ... Cuts Like a Knife is the third solo album by Canadian musician Bryan Adams, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music). ... Dont Leave Me Lonely is a song by the Canadian musician Bryan Adams featured on his 1983 album Cuts Like a Knife. ... Wendy O. Williams W.O.W. album, produced by Gene Simmons in 1984. ... Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. ... Frehleys Comet is the first solo release from Ace Frehley, co-founder and former lead guitarist of KISS. It was the first album Frehley released after leaving KISS in 1982. ...

External links

• The Official Eric Carr Website
• Kiss FAQ: Eric Carr Biography