According to Rivers, his desire to be an athlete soon faded as his leg grew worse. The condition would worsen as Rivers got older. Rivers had a rare case of "congenital femur 'something or other'" (as Beverly phrased it in a letter to family and friends). In the Lover in the Snow video, Rivers discusses his diagnosis with a leg problem. Letter written by Beverly to friends and family regarding Rivers' leg.Īccording to Rivers, he was very athletic in his youth. Said Rivers, "I gravitated toward the, uh.elven, or half-elven something with high dexterity." The two shared much in common such as Dungeons & Dragons, music and soccer. Rivers and Justin quickly became the best of friends. He chose this name because of it's similarity to " Peter Criss".
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Rivers chose the name "Peter" making his name Peter Kitts. According to Justin, Rivers and Leaves' parents permitted them to go by new first names to help them fit in better. Upon entering public school, both Rivers and Leaves began to go by the last name of Kitts (their stepfather) rather than Cuomo.
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Rivers attributes his shyness to bullying. According to Rivers, him and Leaves had "the crap beaten out of " at school. Shortly after entering Mansfield Middle School, Rivers' mother and her friend arranged for Rivers to play with Justin Fisher, who would become Rivers' lifelong friend. Within that package was Eddy Rabbit, Abba, Queen.I think they all had a tremendous impact." Clearly they did - two out of three of those artists are mentioned in 2008's " Heart Songs". Said Rivers, "I bought twelve albums for one penny or something. Furthermore, Rivers joined the Columbia Record Club and bought all the Kiss albums he could. According to Rivers, they taught each other to swear to fit in. Once out of the commune, Rivers and Leaves began to prepare for public schools. There, the family lived at an apartment in Warrenville and eventually a home on South Eagleville Rd in the Summer of 1983. Rather than following it, the Kitts family (Beverly, Stephen, Rivers and Leaves) remained in Connecticut moving to Storrs Mansfield. The guitar was so exciting! I remember we'd all just run around the room in circles, playing air guitar and jumping off the furniture."Īround 1980, Yogaville moved to Virginia. And when we heard 'Makin' Love' or 'I Want You' off that record, we just lost our minds. "We were all about six or seven years old. Rivers would later say that this "directed the course of life." In 1977, a young girl whom Rivers was friends with (presumably the one on the Buddy Holly single) played Rivers the Kiss record, Rock and Roll Over. She got the whole class to turn around, look at me and say, 'Let me see that smile.'"
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So she did that - in front of the whole class. So, my mother advised her to say, 'Let me see that smile,' and then I would smile. "My teacher asked my mother what was wrong with me because I never looked happy. When Rivers was enrolled at the Pomfret Community School (taught by Mrs. Isn't that insane?.It was a very mellow childhood." Beverly remarried to Stephen Kitts who became Rivers' stepfather. There, Rivers was known as "Rama." Said Rivers, "You have to realize we were living in an enclosed community of Hindus. Rivers and Leaves followed their mother, Beverly, to Yogaville where Rivers remained for the rest of his childhood. Afterward, he was mostly absent from Rivers' youth.
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There, Rivers' father farmed cows until he left the family in 1975. Rivers was raised in upstate New York at the Buddhist Zen Center. Rivers was, according to his brother, Leaves, almost named "Apple"-most likely because he was born in New York City. His father claims that he was named after three players from the Soccer World Cup of 1970: Rivelino, Riva, Rivera all three of which played one another one week after June 13. His mother claims he was named "Rivers" because she first heard the sound of a river outside her hospital window after Rivers' birth. Rivers Cuomo was born on Jin Manhattan to father Frank Cuomo and mother Beverly Shoenberger.