Dee Snider recently opened up about his difficult decision to step down from Twisted Sister’s reunion tour. He revealed the extraordinary lengths his bandmates went to in order to convince him to participate in the shows. The veteran rocker shared these details during an appearance on The Jasta Show.
Snider explained how his bandmates offered various accommodations to make the tour workable for him. These arrangements were similar to those made for other aging rock stars.
“When I told the band I’m leaving the band and I’m not doing the reunion shows, there was a lot of trying to — I’ll put it in the nicest way possible — accommodate me and make it workable,” Snider said. “We’ll have medical technicians. We’ll wheel you on and off stage. I’m gonna get the same crew that handled [Mötley Crüe guitarist] Mick Mars [who is suffering with degenerative bone condition ankylosing spondylitis], wheel him out on stage, go do the show.”
The singer revealed that his manager ultimately intervened to protect his health and well-being.
“They were offering me everything. And I wasn’t asking for all this stuff. And [my manager] Phil [Carson], said, ‘Dee, you cannot do this. I know you. I’ve stood on stage and watched you for decades. You cannot do this. You’ll hurt yourself,'” he continued. “And he called the guys up and said, ‘He’s out. He cannot do this. So stop offering him everything in the world.’ And I love the guys, because it wasn’t like a lack of caring or whatever.”
Snider acknowledged that the reunion tour initially became an exciting prospect. However, those closest to him recognized the potential risks.
“Now once you get in the head that we’re gonna do it, it got to be kind of this thing, like, this victory lap, and we weren’t even thinking about it and then all of a sudden it became a thing and it was exciting. But people who truly love me — I’m not saying the guys [in the band] don’t love me — told me, ‘Please don’t do this, because we know you and you can’t stop,'” he said.
Snider’s concerns about his physical limitations ultimately proved prescient. His health challenges would soon force a dramatic decision that affected the entire band’s future.
Loudwire reported that Twisted Sister canceled their entire 2026 50th anniversary reunion tour in February 2026 due to Snider’s sudden resignation. The 70-year-old frontman cited degenerative arthritis from years of high-intensity performances, multiple surgeries, and concerns about cardiac strain as key factors that made performing full sets impossible.
Blabbermouth noted that Snider compared his situation to Slayer’s Tom Araya, whose neck issues ended his thrashing style. He explained that his own physical limitations prevent delivering the high-energy show fans expect. His family’s intervention proved crucial in reinforcing his decision to step away from touring despite the band’s efforts to adapt the performances.
Guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda issued a joint statement on February 5, 2026. They confirmed the cancellation of all shows that were scheduled to start April 25 in São Paulo, Brazil, and continue through the summer. AXS TV revealed that they described Snider’s exit as “sudden and unexpected” and stated that the band’s future would be decided soon after.
The canceled tour represented what would have been Twisted Sister’s first major run since retiring from touring in 2016. They had only performed occasional one-off reunions like a 2023 Metal Hall of Fame performance. Blabbermouth indicated that the band had announced these limited 2026 reunion shows in September 2025. This made the February cancellation particularly disappointing for fans who had been eagerly anticipating the milestone anniversary performances.
