Today, April 14, 2015, marks five years since the world lost Peter Steele in 2010. Fans all over the world still mourn every time a TYPE O NEGATIVE song plays, myself included. He was born Peter Thomas Ratajczyk on January 4, 1962 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He attended Edward R Murrow High School, also in Brooklyn.
In 1979 he formed the band FALLOUT which was together until 1982. He then started the thrash metal group CARNIVORE where his lyrics became harsh, about more sacred things, politically incorrect, and he even wrote about such taboos as race. Well done sir!
Steele formed TYPE O NEGATIVE in 1989 with childhood friends Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver, and Sal Abruscato. Sal was later replaced by Johnny Kelly. When Steele gave up the ghost, the surviving members agreed to dissolve the band.
After the success of Bloody Kisses, Pete started getting attention outside of music and was approached to do a spread for Playgirl Magazine. Not knowing that only 23% of subscribers were female, he accepted. After several signings of the magazine he decided that maybe he had made the wrong decision. His quote was “After I did it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, what did I do?’. It was more than upsetting that so many guys had it. Girls, OK, but there just seemed to be at least as many guys. Not that I’m homophobic, but it was certainly irritating.” Pete Himself was quoted in an interview that he was the first Playgirl spread ever to be posted with an erect penis. I will just have to take his word on that.
In honor of Mr. Peter Thomas Ratajczyk I would like to share the song that has always sparked the most hate and anger, which is why he wrote it. Yes, I am white…
Just to be fair though, he wrote this as well on the same album.
