Ex-Kiss Guitarist Dies of Brain Hemorrhage

Mark St. John, guitarist for Kiss for the mid-80's album 'Animalize' died this week at the age of 51 from a brain hemorrhage. St. John was only with Kiss for one album. He became Kiss' third guitarist after replacing Vinnie Vincent, who had replaced Ace Frehley. While 'Animalize' has never been recognized as one of Kiss' finest moments, the album did grab a reputation for crystallizing the band as a fully fledged live act. It is Kiss' biggest selling album from their non-make-up years.St. John was a professional, technical player and gave the band a new edge, at least for that one moment. Mark St. John was born Mark Norton in Anaheim, California on February 7, 1956 The one and only Kiss video you will see him in was 'Heaven's On Fire'.His Kiss career was short-lived following. St. John discovered he had arthritis in his hands and was forced to leave the band. After Kiss, he formed the less than successful White Tiger. He also played with Kiss drummer Peter Criss for a short time. St. John stayed busy appearing at Kiss Conventions and managed to release a solo album 'Mark St. John Project' in 1999.