Written by Dee Snider has reassured fans that his decision to step away from Twisted Sister’s 50th anniversary reunion tour doesn’t mean that he’s gravely ill.
Last week, announcing his decision to resign from the group, Snider issued a statement revealing that “a lifetime of legendarily aggressive performing has taken its toll on Dee Snider’s body and soul”, and that he “can no longer push the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll fury like he has done for decades.”
Referencing the fact that the singer, 70, has degenerative arthritis, the statement added that “Dee has recently found out the level of intensity he has dedicated to his life’s work has taken its toll on his heart as well.”
“The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me,” Snider declared. “I’d rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self.”
A separate statement issued by Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French and guitarist Eddie Ojeda added: “Due to the sudden and unexpected resignation of Twisted Sister‘s lead singer Dee Snider brought on by a series of health challenges, the band has been forced to cancel all shows scheduled… The future of Twisted Sister will be determined in the next several weeks.”
On February 14, Snider issued a video update on the Facebook page for his House of Hair radio show thanking fans for their concern and support, and promised that he is going nowhere.
“Hey, everybody. It’s me, Dee Snider, and I’m not dying!” the video begins. “No, not never – I mean, we’re all dying, but not immediately.
“My announcement about canceling the tour for health reasons, problems with my heart, arthritis, things like that, the rumours have run wild that I am on my deathbed. I am not. I just can’t do those things that I did in my twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and even sixties. Alright? Otherwise, I’m alive and well. I’m enjoying life. I’m here for the House Of Hair. I’m directing a movie. I’ll be writing things. You won’t see me on the stage kicking ass like I used to because that will mess me up.
“[Someone] just told me, ‘Hey, man, could you just go out on stage and lay back?’ No, I can’t do that,” he continued. “That’s not who I am. Look, I can barely do that on the House Of Hair.
“So, I had to pull out of Twisted Sister.I had to cancel a tour. My apologies for that. And thank you for all the love and care and worry and all that stuff. It was crazy. I mean, the amount of people, the outpouring was beautiful. Thank you very much for cheering me on.
“I’m okay,” the singer promised. “I just can’t do that anymore. And you know what? Truth of the matter is, I don’t want you to see me up there being less than you expect me to be. If you got memories of a great show that I did, that’s what I wanna leave you with, not me standing up there like Willie Nelson. Nothing wrong with Willie – 95 years old in a wheelchair – but you know what I’m saying. I went out rocking. I’m still rocking here. I ain’t stopping. I got a lot of life to live. My dad’s 95 and still kicking, so I’m expecting to be around for a long time, which means the House Of Hair will go on forever!
“Don’t worry about old Dee,” the singer stated in closing. “Thank you.”
