Peter Steele

Petrus Thomas 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 forming Type O Negative, he had created the metal group Fallout and the thrash band Carnivore.As the frontman for Type O Negative, Steele was known for his vampiric affect, towering stature, 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 influences. 2Early life Steele was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn into a Roman Catholic family and attended Edward R. Murrow High School located in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. His father was of Russian and Polish descent and his mother of Scottish-Irish, Norwegian, and Icelandic descent. He was raised in the Bensonhurst and Brighton Beach neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Steele was the youngest of six children, with five older sisters. His father fought in World War II and later worked at a shipyard. Steele started taking guitar lessons at age 12, moving on to bass six months later.Steele worked for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation up until he began touring with Type O Negative in the summer of 1994. He was based at Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where his job involved park maintenance, driving vehicles including garbage trucks and steamrollers, and eventual promotion to the role of park superviso