Petrus T. Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative. Before joining Type O Negative, he played for the metal group Fallout and the thrash band Carnivore.
As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric good looks, rich bass-baritone vocals, and a dark, often self-deprecating sense of humor. His lyrics were often intensely personal, dealing with subjects including love, loss and addiction. Steele credited Black Sabbath and The Beatles as his key musical inspirations.
Biography
As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric good looks, rich bass-baritone vocals, and a dark, often self-deprecating sense of humor. His lyrics were often intensely personal, dealing with subjects including love, loss and addiction. Steele credited Black Sabbath and The Beatles as his key musical inspirations.
Biography
Steele was born in Brooklyn, New York of Polish, Icelandic, Scottish and Russian heritage. He stood 6'8" tall. Before Steele began touring with Type O Negative, he worked for the New York City Parks Department, where his job included driving garbage trucks and steamrollers.
When Type O Negative signed with Roadrunner Records, Steele signed his recording contract with a mixture of his blood and semen. More . . .
When Type O Negative signed with Roadrunner Records, Steele signed his recording contract with a mixture of his blood and semen. More . . .
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.
In 2005, Type O Negative left Roadrunner Records. Steele revealed 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.
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.
He had suffered from clinical depression for which he had received occasional psychiatric treatment. During 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 in an interview on the 2006 DVD Symphony for the Devil. In the interview Steele briefly mentions his incarceration in Riker's Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital".
Steele had served the initial prison term for assaulting a love rival. Upon his release, family members staged an intervention and insisted he check into a mental institution. Steele later confirmed he had been suffering from paranoia caused by his heavy substance abuse. Steele soon made light of the situation by performing live while wearing a prison uniform.
In 2005, Type O Negative left Roadrunner Records. Steele revealed 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.
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.
He had suffered from clinical depression for which he had received occasional psychiatric treatment. During 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 in an interview on the 2006 DVD Symphony for the Devil. In the interview Steele briefly mentions his incarceration in Riker's Island and "the psych ward at Kings County Hospital".
Steele had served the initial prison term for assaulting a love rival. Upon his release, family members staged an intervention and insisted he check into a mental institution. Steele later confirmed he had been suffering from paranoia caused by his heavy substance abuse. Steele soon made light of the situation by performing live while wearing a prison uniform.
Steele made his final recording on the 2007 album Dead Again. 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.
In April 2007, Steele revealed that he began identifying himself as Roman Catholic in recent years, after decades of self-professed atheism. In an interview with Decibel magazine, Steele explained:
In April 2007, Steele revealed that he began identifying himself as Roman Catholic in recent years, after decades of self-professed atheism. In an interview with Decibel magazine, Steele explained:
“There are no atheists in foxholes, they say, and I was a foxhole atheist for a long time. But after going through a midlife crisis and having many things change very quickly, it made me realize my mortality. And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what’s after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it’s a frightening thought to go nowhere. I also can’t believe that people like Stalin and Hitler are gonna go to the same place as Mother Teresa.”Peter Steele died of heart failure on April 14, 2010 at the age of 48.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Steele
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