Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider has publicly teased Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx over an old quote from Sixx’s book claiming that curly-haired musicians “can’t rock.” Snider shared a series of posts on his X account mocking the claim, and Sixx responded with a simple emoji.
The posts focused on Snider disputing Sixx’s old statement by naming several well-known curly-haired rock singers, before taking a jab at Sixx directly.
“Nikki Sixx once said in a book that singers with curly hair can’t rock (Except Ian Hunter)?! I think that Marc Bolan, Dee Snider, Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey beg to disagree! LOL!” Snider said. “How about that curly head singer, Chris Cornell, Nikki. He definitely couldn’t rock. Couldn’t sing either! AHAHAHAHA! Sorry brother, that printed statement was insanely offensive and stupid.”
Snider continued to press the point, questioning whether Sixx could recover from the backlash.
“Will Nikki Sixx ever be able to show his face in public again! Sorry Nikki, this is just too much fun! CURLY HEADED SINGERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!” Snider said.
Sixx’s reply to the posts was brief. He simply responded with a ‘middle finger’ emoji.
The exchange between the two rock veterans played out publicly on social media. However, the jab Snider revived actually traces back nearly two decades.
The “curly hair” remark originates from Sixx’s memoir The Heroin Diaries, published in 2007 through MTV Books. The book chronicles Sixx’s 1986 journal entries documenting his struggles with addiction during Mötley Crüe’s rise. The offhand comment about curly-haired singers being unable to rock has lingered as a point of ridicule among fans and fellow musicians ever since. Snider’s recent posts effectively resurrected a long-running rock inside joke rather than responding to any new statement from Sixx.
The timing of the spat also lands amid a separate controversy surrounding Sixx and his band. Mötley Crüe has faced renewed scrutiny over its live performances, with longstanding accusations that the group relies on pre-recorded tracks during concerts. Sixx addressed the claims directly. He insisted the band performs live and only uses backing elements for parts they cannot reproduce onstage, such as orchestral arrangements and certain effects.
That defense has kept Sixx in the spotlight for reasons beyond the curly hair jab. It adds another layer to the public back-and-forth with Snider. Rather than an isolated social media spat, the exchange fits into a broader stretch of scrutiny Sixx has faced over both his decades-old writing and his band’s current credibility on stage.
Neither musician has commented further on the exchange. It remains to be seen whether Sixx will respond beyond his one-emoji reply.
