Dee Snider Gives Response About Being Paid More Than Other Band Members

In a recent interaction on X, Dee Snider, the lead singer of glam metal rockers Twisted Sister, addressed a statement insinuating that the band’s dissolution was driven by financial inequalities among its members.

The initial tweet claimed that the band decided to disband due to Snider allegedly enjoying a considerably larger income than the other members. Responding to this claim, the hard rock singer is certain he’s not gonna take it and conveyed his thoughts by replying to the tweet.

The frontman briefly explained that the band did not break up but rather retired in 2016, even mentioning that the band members remain ‘sisters’. 

“We didn’t break up… We retired in 2016. Still friends and ‘sisters’. Now in 1987, our breakup wasn’t so friendly, but we fixed that around 2002,” Snider wrote.

Snider on why the band chose to retire

As disclosed by the frontman himself, Twisted Sister officially retired in 2016. In an interview on the SiriusXM Volume show Trunk Nation, he elaborated on the challenging decision-making process behind the band’s retirement.

“The headbanging, the thrashing, all that energy… Where Alice [Cooper] always seemed like a crotchety old dude, and he’s crawling around the stage, that works great for a 72-year-old dude now,” Snider shared.

The rock singer went on and explained that his own performance style didn’t align with being a 62-year-old and that the physical demands became excessively challenging to maintain, making it hard for him to sustain the level of intensity needed as it became increasingly difficult over time. 

He then added, “I expressed the sentiment that I wanted to stop while people are still smiling and not looking at me saying, ‘Oh, remember when he was good?’.”

Snider wanted no part in a reunion

During a separate interview with Guitar World, Snider responded to a question about the possibility of Twisted Sister staging a comeback show due to popular demand. Surprisingly, Snider opted not to join his bandmates if ever they did stage a reunion.

“The band Twisted Sister, as an entity, can do it without me if they wanted to, but if they were to go out, no, I would not participate,” Snider affirmed.

While the Twister Sister frontman felt rehearsing and spending time with the group brings back enjoyable memories and that their camaraderie remains strong, Snider felt that he must acknowledge that the chapter of his life dedicated to the band has come to a close. 

“It was fun to rehearse with them and hang out with them, and we’re still really close friends, but that chapter of my life is behind me now,” he concluded.

Snider’s on bands who retire and come back for tours

In the same Guitar World interview, Snider did not mince his words when he talked about bands that announce retirement tours only to return for subsequent tours. The former Twisted Sister frontman was even unreserved in naming specific bands, saying:

“I’m not gonna name names. I always bitch about people who retire, sell us the ‘No More Tours’ shirt, Ozzy, and then come back a few years later, ‘We love you, we love you.’ That’s bullshit. And people say, ‘Well, that’s fucked up.’ No, stay forever, man. Stay forever. We don’t want you to leave. Just don’t do a three-year farewell tour, Scorpions,  and then say you changed your mind. ‘Cause you haven’t played every place? No, you’ve played every place, twice.”

The funny rant ended by naming Blue Öyster Cult as one of the bands who did not play the retirement card.

“Blue Öyster Cult have ‘On Tour Forever’ jackets. Forever. God bless ’em. You do it. I’m not gonna be on tour forever. I’m gonna walk off into the sunset, waving and smiling,” Snider commented.

A brief but explosive presence

Formed in 1972, Twisted Sister originally hailed from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, before establishing their base on Long Island, New York.

Renowned for iconic tracks like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”, the band gained widespread recognition, with their music videos particularly noted for their humorous and slapstick elements. Twisted Sister untimely disbanded in 1988.

In a brief resurgence during the late 1990s, the band temporarily reunited before officially reforming in 2003. This reformation led to the release of two additional albums: Still Hungry (2004), a reimagining of their third album, and the festive offering A Twisted Christmas (2006). 

However, the band faced a significant loss with the passing of drummer A.J. Pero in 2015, prompting them to embark on a farewell tour. Following the completion of the tour in 2016, Twisted Sister decided to disband once again, and this time, for good.