unfortunately the Type O Negative frontman, Peter Steele, died April 14th.
Steele was born in Brooklyn, New York of Polish, Icelandic and Russian heritage. He stood 6'7" tall. He had suffered from clinical depression for which he had received occasionally psychiatric treatment. There were unconfirmed rumors at one point of Steele's death after the band website posted an image of a tombstone bearing his name and the dates 1962-2005. According to an article dated May 14, 2005, Steele was not dead; the gag was related to their fresh signing with SPV Records. The website discontinued the tombstone picture in October 2005. Steele had disappeared for an extended time with no explanation. Rumors of his death, terminal illness, and other speculations increased until the mystery was dispelled on the 2006 DVD Symphony for the Devil. Included in this DVD is an interview in which Steele briefly mentions his incarceration in Riker's Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital", both stints apparently caused by his heavy substance abuse, for which he also served time on probation.
Steele appeared as a nude centerfold of Playgirl in 1995. After finding out via bandmate Kenny Hickey's contacts that only 23% of the magazine subscribers were female, Steele somewhat regretted the decision and later made light of it on Life Is Killing Me with the song "I Like Goils". In a 2007 interview, Steele reflected on the posing as merely a naïve publicity stunt.
Steele also revealed in recent interviews that Type O Negative's split from Roadrunner Records, aside from a poor offer, had to do with an allegedly unauthorized release of a Best Of compilation. He later revealed on MTV's Headbangers Ball that the new alliance with SPV Records was probably his favorite thing about Dead Again from a production standpoint.
Steele died of heart failure on April 14, 2010, aged 48.
Steele was born in Brooklyn, New York of Polish, Icelandic and Russian heritage. He stood 6'7" tall. He had suffered from clinical depression for which he had received occasionally psychiatric treatment. There were unconfirmed rumors at one point of Steele's death after the band website posted an image of a tombstone bearing his name and the dates 1962-2005. According to an article dated May 14, 2005, Steele was not dead; the gag was related to their fresh signing with SPV Records. The website discontinued the tombstone picture in October 2005. Steele had disappeared for an extended time with no explanation. Rumors of his death, terminal illness, and other speculations increased until the mystery was dispelled on the 2006 DVD Symphony for the Devil. Included in this DVD is an interview in which Steele briefly mentions his incarceration in Riker's Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital", both stints apparently caused by his heavy substance abuse, for which he also served time on probation.
Steele appeared as a nude centerfold of Playgirl in 1995. After finding out via bandmate Kenny Hickey's contacts that only 23% of the magazine subscribers were female, Steele somewhat regretted the decision and later made light of it on Life Is Killing Me with the song "I Like Goils". In a 2007 interview, Steele reflected on the posing as merely a naïve publicity stunt.
Steele also revealed in recent interviews that Type O Negative's split from Roadrunner Records, aside from a poor offer, had to do with an allegedly unauthorized release of a Best Of compilation. He later revealed on MTV's Headbangers Ball that the new alliance with SPV Records was probably his favorite thing about Dead Again from a production standpoint.
Steele died of heart failure on April 14, 2010, aged 48.
