Former Type O Negative Guitarist Kenny Hickey Confirms ‘Talks’ For Peter Steele Tribute Concert

In his most detailed comments to date on a potential Type O Negative reunion, former guitarist Kenny Hickey has confirmed that there are active “talks” about staging a tribute concert for the late, iconic frontman Peter Steele. However, he revealed that the project’s biggest hurdle remains the same: the continued resistance of former keyboardist Josh Silver.

Speaking in a new interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Hickey confirmed that the increasing demand from fans and interest from the music industry have made the possibility of a tribute more real than ever.

“There has, yes. A lot of people are approaching us. There are a lot of agents [contacting us]. There’s money in it, so the more the value goes up, the more they’re gonna hound us,” he said.

The main obstacle, he explained, is the reluctance of keyboardist Josh Silver, who left the music industry years ago to become a paramedic in New York City.

“Josh is really, at this point, he’s very resistant,” Hickey stated. “But we’ll see. We don’t know what’s gonna happen. Josh is about to retire [from his job as a paramedic] soon, so we don’t know what’s gonna happen. It all depends on how much money it’s worth and how much is waved [in front of us].”

While fans have often speculated about who could possibly fill Peter Steele‘s vocal role, Hickey revealed that, for him, the bigger challenge is finding someone who can replicate his unique bass playing.

“It’s a very hard thing to get my head around,” he said of potential guest singers. “[Peter‘s] bass playing was more unique than his vocals. Deep, baritone vocals — a lot of people with a deep voice could do that s**t and roll your Rs… But his bass playing was very, very unique.”

This is not the first time Hickey has expressed his openness to a tribute. In a February interview, he said, “I think so. I would do something like that, absolutely,” citing the band’s resurgence with a new generation of fans. At that time, he also identified Silver as the main “sticking point,” saying, “Josh is just, like, he’s done with music.” However, he left the door open, adding, “You get nostalgic after a time… You can never say never.”