Jay Jay French explained that Dee Snider’s health condition prevents him from performing at the level he and the fans expect, speaking on 94.7 WCSX Radio.
French addressed why Snider would not be part of the band’s plans, noting that doctors and family members had advised against his participation in touring.
“You got health issues, well, nobody wants to put you in jeopardy,” French said. “So when people say, ‘Well, how do you feel about it?’ Well, what am I supposed to say, how do I feel about it? The guy can’t do it. If his doctors are telling him, ‘Don’t do it,’ if his family’s saying to him, ‘Please don’t do it, you’re putting yourself, your health, at risk,’ well, then you don’t do it. It’s that simple.”
French clarified that Snider was not facing a terminal condition, but rather a situation that affected his ability to perform. “So I understood. First, I said, ‘Are you okay?’ ’cause there was all these talks on how sick is he,” he continued. “He’s not end-of-life ill; he’s just end-of-career ill, like retired ball players or football players or whatever. He just couldn’t perform the way he wants to perform, the way he believes that the fans want him to perform.”
French added that Snider made the decision to step back respectfully. “So he respectfully resigned, and we said, ‘Okay.’ And that conversation was dormant, and then Eddie [Ojeda, Twisted Sister guitarist] and I had dinner and he said, ‘Well, if we did, who would we get?’ And we kind of knew the answer to that. We kind of knew it.”
French’s comments came as Twisted Sister explores its future without Snider.
Snider’s decision to leave the reunion came after he was diagnosed with degenerative arthritis that spread throughout his body, along with heart problems and hypertension. The conditions left him in pain after performing only a few songs, making it impossible for him to meet the standards he set for himself and his audiences. His children ultimately urged him to step back, expressing concern for his health and safety.
In February 2026, Twisted Sister canceled its 50th anniversary reunion shows following Snider’s resignation. All shows scheduled from April 25 in São Paulo, Brazil, and continuing through the summer were postponed, with the band’s future direction to be decided in the following weeks. Snider gave the band his blessing to continue with a new singer rather than abandon the reunion entirely.
By March 2026, Twisted Sister announced that former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach would front the band during their reunion performances. The new touring lineup includes Bach on lead vocals, French and Ojeda on guitar, Russell Pzütto on bass, and Joey Cassata on drums. Bach has been performing with the band through the fall as part of select reunion dates.
