PETER CRISS' Ex-Wife To Auction Off Vintage KISS Items

October 21, 2004

According to KissKollector.com, Lydia Criss, the ex-wife of former/original KISS drummer Peter Criss, will be auctioning off vintage KISS items from her private collection. Hosted by Backstage Auctions, the "KISS: The Vintage Years" auction will start on Sunday, November 7, 2004 at 3 p.m. EST and end one week later on Sunday, November 14, 2004, also at 3 p.m. EST.

Lydia met Peter in 1966, and the two instantly became a couple and eventually married in January 1970. While Peter was struggling with KISS (and before that in bar bands) to make it, Lydia became Peter's full support system. She was behind him in every way imaginable, from making some of the earliest KISS stage apparel, to providing financial and emotional support while he pursued his dream. This continued until KISS finally became successful, and in late 1975 Lydia began enjoying life as a homemaker and playing the role of the 1970s rock star wife. In 1978, Peter and Lydia divorced, and Lydia eventually became a professional photographer seeing her work appear in major publications, biographies, calendars, tour books, etc.

Lydia Criss' collection contains over 1,000 pieces, including posters, rare handbills, photos, personal notes and letters, pins, vinyl, tapes, promotional goods, t-shirts and even the wedding dress she wore when she married Peter. Highlights include handbills from KISS' New York club days in '73, original artwork, vintage tour memorabilia and a number of personal items from her 12-year relationship with Peter Criss.

The auction is not primarily aiming at KISS fans/collectors, as Lydia's collection also features items from some other very notable classic rock bands like LED ZEPPELIN, THE WHO, QUEEN, THE ROLLING STONES and THE BEATLES. Backstage Auctions will be highlighting selected items from this auction in their Auctions Preview Gallery soon, but in the meantime KISS Kollector Online is already exclusively displaying some of the KISS items from the upcoming "KISS: The Vintage Years" auction, including the first ever KISS handbill (for the April 13 and 14, 1973 gigs at the Daisy in New York City) and the handwritten lyrics for KISS' first mega hit "Beth" (which Peter Criss supposedly wrote for his then-wife).

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