PETER CRISS CONFIRMS TERMINATION

In the wake of Wednesday's announcement that ERIC SINGER, the third KISS drummer, would play in Japan and Australia on the March dates of the band's year-long farewell jaunt, PETER CRISS has confirmed that he is off the tour — at least for now. His statement, issued to the Associated Press, reads, "It is unfortunate that GENE [Simmons] and PAUL [Stanley] chose to terminate their association with me for the Japan and Australia tour dates. I am healthy and will truly miss performing." Criss' lawyer, Mike Celli, did not specify details of a meeting between Criss and Kiss' prime movers, Stanley and Simmons, to the AP. He was quoted as saying, "We were in the middle of negotiating, and there was an offer taken off the table."