Peter Criss, the original drummer of KISS, died in 2025. The cause of death was listed as blunt trauma injuries to the head from a fall at his New Jersey home. Criss, who left the band in 1980, returned for a reunion tour in the 1990s and again in 2004 before being replaced by Eric Singer.

He last performed with the original members of KISS during the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Criss and fellow original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley received the Kennedy Center Honors on December 7, 2025, with an empty chair beside them in honor of Ace Frehley, who died on October 16, 2025, from a fall at his home. Frehley had left the band three times and was known for his influence on guitarists including Dimebag Darrell and Mike McCready.

According to Gene Simmons, the original members of KISS have had significant personal and professional conflicts, primarily rooted in substance use rather than financial issues. Simmons stated that all original members of KISS, including Criss, were bought out in 1982, after which the remaining members became salaried employees. The band has maintained a strong working relationship between Simmons and Stanley, both of whom uphold strict no-drug, no-alcohol policies.

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