30 Years Ago: Kiss Drummer Eric Carr Dies; Carr Had Hudson Valley Ties

We lost Kiss drummer Eric Carr 30 years ago (Nov. 24, 1991) after a battle with cancer at the age of 41. The rocker had ties to the Hudson Valley.

Carr's passing was sadly overlooked by some, including Rolling Stone, due to the passing of Queen's Freddie Mercury (Mercury died the same day from AIDS complications at the age of 45). Kiss drummer Eric Carr who took up the persona of 'The Fox' in the band during the makeup era as the replacement for 'Catman' Peter Criss had local ties to the Hudson Valley.

While Carr was a Brooklyn boy, his parents, Albert and Connie Caravello eventually settled in the Sullivan County area where they lived for years. I remember as a young kid going to the old Dutchess Mall in Fishkill and his parents had a little store dedicated to all things Eric Carr. I remember thinking how cool it was. All sorts of memorabilia were on display, including Carr's chrome Chikara drum set which the drummer used on the Kiss 1988 Crazy Nights tour. They also had video footage showing on a small tv of Carr playing with Kiss on the tour.

Eric Carr played with Kiss from 1980-1991. He performed on studio albums Music from "The Elder", Creatures of the Night, Lick It Up, Animalize, Asylum, Crazy Nights, and Hot in the Shade.
Carr's funeral was held at St. Joseph's Church in Middletown on Nov. 30, 1991, and was attended by Kiss band members Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick along with Ace Frehley along with many fans who showed up in Kiss t-shirts and ripped jeans to show their respects to the talented drummer taken from us way too soon. Carr is interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newburgh, NY.