Original KISS drummer Peter Criss recently shared a deeply personal story about his battle with breast cancer and the inspiration behind one of the standout tracks on his latest solo album, Peter Criss, released on December 19, 2025.
In an interview with Julian Gill, Lonnie Weischaar, and Ken Keenan on the KissFAQ podcast, Criss discussed the song “Walking On Water” and why it holds a special place in his heart.
“Very important,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I had breast cancer a while back, and I prayed. I’m a very religious guy, so I really prayed very, very hard. I was at church probably more than the pastor, and I really prayed hard. And God gave me my miracle. And I felt, and I kid you not, that I really could walk on water.”
Criss described the song as a reflection of the elation he felt after overcoming the disease: “Have you ever watched that Being There movie with Chauncey Gardner? And at the end he walks on water, and you realize he’s an angel. I love that movie. And I felt like that. I felt like I could walk on the ocean, and it was such a high. I was so elated that I was cured. And so I wanted to write a religious song, and I wanted to write about the experience that I was feeling inside, ’cause I always sing from the heart. Everything comes from my heart. And that’s one of my favorite songs. I’m glad you brought it up, because ‘Walking On Water’ is special. I think Paul Shaffer played an amazing organ on it. The whole band was just dynamite. But the vocals were very — yeah, it’s near and dear to my heart. It’s one of my favorite songs on the album… That meant so much to me about beating cancer, ’cause I’m a big cancer guy. Every year I go out on October and I raise money for men for breast cancer.”
He also spoke about his dedication to music and his determination to keep creating for as long as he can: “I’ll never stop, man. I ain’t stopping until they put me in the box. I’m gonna keep on going till I… Music is a gift from God. I’m so blessed that I’m talking to you guys and talking about my writing and my composing and my feeling about music.”
Criss reflected on the influence of his upbringing and the motivation that drives him to keep performing, saying: “My mom used to say, ‘Wasted talent is a bad thing,’ and I grew up with that always in my ear. And I got a gift from the Lord, and I’m gonna just keep going until I can’t. And that’s the way it is. If I get to live to 180, then I’m gonna be still singing and playing them drums at 180. I’m never gonna stop.”
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