KISS-World.com
Mark Leslie Norton, better known as Mark St. John was born.
St. John was only with KISS a short time, but he was featured on the album Animalize, the second album of the "unmasked" period. This turned out to be one of Kiss's most successful studio albums, aside from those made by the original lineup. St. John's only video appearance with KISS is in the video for the hit single "Heaven's on Fire".
During the sessions for the album, which was recorded in mid-1984, St. John clashed with the other members of the band. He also developed arthritis (Reiter's Syndrome), which caused his hands and arms to swell. He was all but unable to perform live as a member of Kiss, and only played two full shows and one partial show during the Animalize tour, with Bruce Kulick playing the rest. Mark St. John was officially replaced by Bruce Kulick on December 8, 1984.
He is also the only KISS member not to appear in any album front cover, since the Animalize cover only features a tapestry of animal prints.
Mark passed away on the morning of April 5, 2007, of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Happy Birthday Mark. We miss you, man!
