Tensions within KISS have resurfaced after founding drummer Peter Criss strongly rejected Gene Simmons’s recent remarks. Simmons questioned Criss’s role in writing the band’s 1976 hit Beth.
Criss said he played a central part in shaping the song and accused Simmons of commenting on events he was not present for. His response followed Simmons’ appearance on the YouTube series Professor of Rock. There, Simmons dismissed Criss’ songwriting contribution.
Simmons claimed Criss “had nothing to do with” Beth beyond singing it. He argued that Criss happened to be “in the right place at the right time” when songwriter Stan Penridge co-wrote the original demo.
Criss, however, pushed back firmly in comments to Billboard. He described Simmons’ statements as “ridiculous” and “very uncalled for.” Additionally, he added that Simmons was not involved in the song’s conception in the late 1960s or in its later refinement for release.
Peter Criss Shuts Down Gene Simmons’ Claim About the KISS Classic ‘Beth’: ‘He Talks About Things He Doesn’t Know About’https://t.co/H2hFUmlawH
— billboard (@billboard) January 14, 2026Criss said he wrote the melody and vocal phrasing for the original demo. Afterward, he worked closely with producer Bob Ezrin to reshape the song. He explained that while Penridge’s verse-and-chorus structure remained intact, his melodic framework carried through to the final version.
He recalled spending time at the piano with Ezrin at the Record Plant studio. Together, they adjusted the tempo and refined phrasing to suit the slower, orchestral arrangement. That arrangement ultimately defined the song.
“My name was credited to that song before it was a hit,” Criss said. “I would not put my name on a song I had nothing to do with. That is not who I am.”
Released in 1976, Beth became one of KISS’s most successful singles. The ballad reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the band a People’s Choice Award. This success cemented its place as a defining track in KISS’s catalogue.
The renewed dispute highlights long-standing creative tensions within the band, even decades after Beth became a global hit.
