TYPE O NEGATIVE frontman Peter Steele, born Petrus T. Ratajczyk, is rumored to have died of heart failure yesterday. That’s what different sources post on the interwebs the past few hours. The death news has been confirmed by fellow bandmate Kenny Hickey. Also, keyboardist Josh Silver has confirmed to BLABBERMOUTH.NET that the band’s frontman, Peter Steele, passed away.

Back in 2005, many people were shocked when they logged on to the TYPE O NEGATIVE web site and saw a gravestone with the words “[P]eter Steele – 1962 – 2005 …. Free At Last” carved on it. According to Epinions.com, there were rumors at the time that Steele was sick (with anything from cancer to AIDS), was on his deathbed, attempted suicide … and the list goes on. Needless to say, it turned out that Steele was very much alive and the gravestone was merely a joke, albeit one the wasn’t viewed as being in particularly good taste. Before forming TYPE O NEGATIVE, Steele played for the metal group FALLOUT and the thrash band CARNIVORE.

R.I.P. Peter Steele

January 4, 1962
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April 14, 2010

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