Just a month and a half after announcing a worldwide tour to celebrate the band’s 50th anniversary, Twisted Sister had to cancel their plans after frontman Dee Snider revealed that he can no longer perform on stage with the same level of intensity as before. The musician suffers from degenerative arthritis and, according to Jay Jay French in a video released on his social media, he will no longer perform with the band. French added that he and Eddie Ojeda will discuss whether Twisted Sister could continue in some form.
Jay Jay French talks about Dee Snider’s health and Twisted Sister’s tour cancellation
“Today is the actual 50th anniversary of the day that Dee auditioned in the band. 1976. Here’s the diary entry. ‘Danny Snider’ — he wasn’t Dee yet — ‘auditions for Twisted Sister’, February 7th, 1976.”
“For the last 50 years, me and Eddie (Ojeda) have stood side by side with Dee, not with hundreds of shows, but with thousands of shows.
“You know the cliché in sports, when a great sportsman retires, they say he left it on the field. Well, I can tell you when it comes to Dee, he left it on the stage. He gave everything his all, and his body is now telling him, ‘I can’t give you anymore.’ And when someone tells you that, you have to accept it and you have to move on. So please understand this was a tough decision, but we had no other choice but to cancel these dates.”
“As far as the future of Twisted Sister is concerned, Eddie Ojeda and I will have conversations in the next couple of weeks to discuss what, if any, options exist for us to continue.”
“Until then, just know that the SMFs around the world are the thing that kept us alive and kept us going, and we love you guys and we will do everything we can to always live up to your expectations as fans, ’cause nobody understands fandom more than us. We appreciate everything that you’ve ever done for us and hopefully we’ll see you again in the future. Thank you,” Jay Jay French (Transcribed by Blabbermouth).
What Dee Snider said about his health
Dee Snider’s statement said: “A lifetime of legendarily aggressive performing has taken its toll on Dee Snider’s body and soul. Unbeknownst to the public (until now) Snider (70) suffers from degenerative arthritis and has had several surgeries over the years just to keep going, able to only perform a few songs at a time in pain.”
“Adding insult to injury, Dee has recently found out the level of intensity he has dedicated to his life’s work has taken its toll on his heart as well. He can no longer push the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll fury like he has done for decades. Says Snider, “I don’t know of any other way to rock. The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I’d rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self.” In the immortal words of Dirty Harry, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” Sadly, Dee Snider now knows his,” Dee Snider said.
One of the most memorable bands from the 1980s, Twisted Sister released so far seven studio albums, the most recent one being “A Twisted Christmas” in 2006. Their biggest hits are “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It”.