BIOGRAPHY
PAUL CHARLES CARAVELLO WAS BORN ON JULY 12, 1953 IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, BUT WAS RAISED IN BROWNSVILLE, NEW YORK. PAUL BEGAN PLAYING DRUMS AT AGE 13 AFTER HIS IDOL RINGO STARR. PAUL FORMED HIS FIRST BAND, THE CELLARMEN, IN 1965 WHILE STUDYING PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART AT THE MANHATTAN'S HIGH SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS. DURING THE SEVENTIES THE UP AND COMING YOUNG DRUMMER HELD A VARIETY OF ODD JOBS WHILE PURSUING HIS ROCK STAR DREAM PLAYING IN A TOP 40 DISCO COVERBAND CALLED SALT AND PEPPER. SUCH JOBS INCLUDED: OVEN REPAIRMAN, DELI COUNTER WORKER, AND DELIVERYMAN.
IN 1980 WHILE PLAYING IN A BAND NAMED FLASHER, PAUL HEARD ABOUT AUDITIONS FOR THE ROCK BAND KISS AND QUICKLY SENT IN A PACKAGE TO AUCOIN MANAGEMENT. HE AUDITIONED FOR KISS ON JUNE 23 AND WON THE JOB ON JULY 1. THE BAND MAKES IT OFFICIAL ON JULY 22. AFTER MANY NAME AND CHARACTER SUGGESTIONS, PAUL SETTLES ON ERIC CARR THE FOX. ERIC CARR MAKES HIS DEBUT WITH KISS ON JULY 25, 1980 AT THE PALLADIUM IN NEW YORK. ERIC OCCUPIED THE DRUMMER'S SEAT IN KISS FOR 11 YEARS, MAKING HIM THE LONGEST TO HOLD SUCH A POSITION AT THE TIME. HE MADE HIS RECORDING DEBUT WITH KISS ON "(MUSIC FROM) THE ELDER" IN 1981. ERIC'S TENURE IN KISS INCLUDED 8 STUDIO ALBUMS.
ERIC WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HEART TUMOR AND IMMEDIATELY UNDERWENT SURGERY TO REMOVE IT, BUT THE CANCER HAD SPREAD TO HIS LUNGS. CHEMOTHERAPY IMPROVED HIS CONDITION FOR A WHILE, BUT ERIC WAS UNABLE TO PLAY DRUMS ON THE BAND'S NEXT STUDIO ALBUM "REVENGE". HE WAS ABLE TO SING BACKGROUND VOCALS ON "GOD GAVE ROCK AND ROLL TO YOU II" FOR BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY. ERIC MADE HIS LAST PUBLIC APPEARANCE AT THE MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS IN SEPTEMBER. TWO DAYS LATER HE SUFFERED A CEREBRAL HEMMORHAGE. AFTER SUFFERING A SECOND STROKE, ERIC FELL INTO A COMA. ERIC PASSED AWAY ON NOVEMBER 24, 1991 AT THE AGE OF 41. THE MUSIC WORLD SUFFERED A GREAT LOSS ON THIS DARK DAY AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE WORLD IN GENERAL.
BACK TO ERIC CARR TRIBUTE PAGE
