Brooklyn-based metal band Type O Negative best know for their hits “Black No. 1″ and “Christian Woman,” have lost their bassist, lead singer. 48-year-old Pete Steele died on the evening of April 14, 2010 from heart failure. Reports have surfaced stating that Pete Steele, born Petrus T. Ratajczyk had been ill for days leading up to his death. Steele has had issues with substance abuse, but at the time of this post drugs have not been tied to his death.
The Brooklyn native was an icon in his native New York. The massive singer was 6′ 7″ and built with black long hair, he was hard to miss on the streets of NYC. During Type O Negative’s height of popularity Pete Steele appeared on the cover of Playgirl and was featured in the magazine fully nude.
Steele had a baritone voice as big as his stature and as deep as his bass guitar. The is a huge loss for not only the NYC music community but for metal rock fans around the world. He will truly be missed.
