Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider recently opened up about the health challenges that forced him to end his performing career. He shared his story in an interview with Beardo & Weirdo.
The 71-year-old rocker explained how multiple health issues led to his difficult decision to step back from live performances. These issues included hip problems and heart conditions.
“First of all, becoming face-to-face with mortality. And as the doctor said to me, ‘Dude, you’re great, amazing for a 71-year-old. But you can’t do that anymore. You’re done. Your body parts are worn out, and you got nothing left,'” Snider said. “And the funniest thing [was] when the surgeon looked at my X-ray, [he said], ‘Do you jump around much?’ ‘Yeah. That’s kind of what I do.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, well, you’re done.’ And so that was the first one.”
Snider revealed that his family had to intervene to convince him to retire from performing due to his health concerns.
“And then when I was going to get a hip replacement and hoping that that would be enough to change things on that level and I could still keep playing, then I was told that I had hypertension and heart issues that — day-to-day living and handling and dealing with it… My dad’s 95, and I’ll be going for a long time, but if I’m gonna go up there and burn rubber on stage and just use it up, so to speak, I had to decide whether or not to stop that,” he continued. “And my family literally had to sit down with me and pretty much begged me to stop.”
In a surprising twist, Snider playfully blamed Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson for giving him false hope about returning to the stage.
“Also — I blame [Iron Maiden singer] Bruce Dickinson. I’m blaming Bruce Dickinson because when I found out that my hip was shot, I get a call from Bruce. I hadn’t spoken to him since the ‘Powerslave’ tour. And he reaches out to say, ‘Dee,’ he said, ‘I’ve had it done twice.’ He goes, ‘And I’m back in action.’ And I said, ‘You’re back in action?’ Now mind you, I think Bruce is 10 years younger than me. I said, ‘You’re back in action?’ He says, ‘Yeah, man. I’m thrusting, I’m parrying.’ I said, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. What about the band?’ ‘Oh, yeah, the band too. But I’m fencing, man,'” Snider recalled.
Despite getting hip surgery and initially feeling optimistic, Snider’s hopes were quickly dashed during a test performance.
“All he cared about was that he was still thrusting and parrying. But when I heard him say, ‘Okay, back in action a hundred percent,’ I was, like, ‘All right, I could do this.’ And that’s when I was going for the surgery that I found out that I had a heart issue that I did not know about. And that was when they pulled the rug out from under me. And then I still — like an asshole — so I got the hip,” he said.
“It was better. I’m, like, ‘You know what? I’m going out there. I wanna test it out.’ Lita Ford had asked me to do a few songs with her, like I used to do with Bret [Michaels] and stuff. So I go up there on stage and I walk out on stage and I’m going, ‘Damn, this thing feels good.’ I’m thrusting and I’m parrying — bounce, bounce, bounce, and the knee goes. Three bounces — knee goes. And I’m, like, ‘Whoa. Son of a bitch.’ And I’m just hearing that surgeon going, ‘You’re done. You’re done. You’re done.'”
These health challenges ultimately forced Snider to back out of Twisted Sister’s planned 50th-anniversary reunion tour.
Snider’s retirement marks the end of an era for the iconic heavy metal band. The group has already taken steps to continue their legacy. Parade reported that Twisted Sister has tapped former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach as Snider’s replacement for select fall 2026 shows. These shows include one at the Alaska State Fair on September 4.
The timing of Snider’s departure carries particular significance for the band’s history. Metal Injection noted that guitarist Jay Jay French highlighted the milestone. French said it marked the actual 50th anniversary of Snider’s 1976 audition. “Today is the actual 50th anniversary of the day that Dee auditioned in the band. 1976,” French reflected on the moment that changed the band’s trajectory forever.
Bach’s appointment as the new frontman came with Snider’s full endorsement. Blabbermouth revealed that Bach received Snider’s “full blessing” to take over vocal duties for the legendary band. The former Skid Row vocalist expressed his emotional response to the opportunity. This demonstrated the weight of stepping into such an iconic role.
The band’s decision to move forward without their longtime frontman reflects their commitment to preserving Twisted Sister’s musical legacy. American Songwriter reported that guitarist Jay Jay French has been addressing the band’s uncertain future following Snider’s retirement announcement. He has been exploring various options to keep the band’s spirit alive while honoring their storied history.
Despite the challenges ahead, Snider himself remains optimistic about the band’s future. During his podcast appearance, he expressed hope that someone could carry on the band’s legacy. He said, “I hope so. I believe there’s gotta be somebody out there who can kick ass.”
