10 Years Ago: Kiss Guitarist Mark St. John Dies
We remember one time Kiss guitarist Mark St. John today (April 5, 2017) on the 10 year anniversary of his passing.
Mark St. John was best known for his brief stint with the band Kiss, replacing Vinnie Vincent, and playing lead guitar on the 1984 album Animalize. The biggest hit off the album was the single “Heaven’s on Fire” which received heavy rotation on MTV at the time, and would also be the only video appearance from St. John. St. John would play only a few dates of the tour in support of Animalize as he would be forced to leave after being diagnosed with Reiter’s Syndrome (a form of arthritis) that would damage his hands and arms, preventing him from being able to perform. He would be replaced by Bruce Kulick.
Mark St John’s time in Kiss only lasted from April-November 1984. He would go on to play in other various projects after Kiss, but never achieve the same success. Sadly, St. John died of a brain hemorrhage on April 5, 2007 at the age of 51. I’m a big fan of 80’s Kiss personally, and Animalize certainly ranks among my favorites in the 80’s Kiss catalogue.
Crank up some Animalize era Kiss today in Mark’s memory!