DEE SNIDER Opens Up About Health Issues Which Forced Him Back Out Of TWISTED SISTER's Reunion Tour: The Doctor Said I Was 'Done'

During an appearance on the latest episode of the "Beardo & Weirdo" podcast, hosted by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael and comedian Craig Gass, TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider opened up about the "health challenges" that forced him to back out of taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary reunion tour in 2026. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "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.' 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. 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. And my family literally had to sit down with me and pretty much begged me to stop. And basically, my kids, they're, like, 'Why are you doing this? What do you got to prove? It's not a financial thing for you. You've got everything that you ever dreamed of, everything you wanted. It's pure ego.'"

Dee continued: "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.' 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. 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.'"

Reflecting on when he made his final decision to pull out of TWISTED SISTER's 2026 tour, Dee said: "So I got the knee fixed, and I was, like, all right, am I gonna keep playing this game? I go out there and then I break something else and I tear something else, or I injure something else, or I enjoy my life. Day to day, I'm living my best life, without a doubt. I built a family compound in North Carolina. I've got all my kids, my wife, my grandkids, everybody here. I'm living a good life. I'm directing my first movie in a couple of months. I'm writing. I'm doing other things. I'm still doing my radio show. 29 years I've been doing my syndicated radio show, 'House Of Hair'. So it's not that I'm lacking any outlet or creativity or tension. But for my ego, do I really need to get up there on stage and I could prove that I could do it one more time?

"And here's the last thing I'm gonna say about this," Snider added. "When TWISTED SISTER retired in 2016 — that was 10 years ago — I had a 29-inch waist, I weighed 175 pounds. I had an eight-pack. I'm ripped to shreds. At 61 years old I am ripped to shreds and I am performing at my peak. And it was a friend of mine [who] said, 'You really wanna go back 10 years later? You know you can't take your shirt off. You know you ain't got no 29-inch waist. That ship sailed a few inches ago.' And he goes, 'You can't possibly compare to that. You went out on a high note. You were 61. You said, 'Goodbye, everybody.' And now you're gonna come back 10 years later and suck?' And I may not suck, but that was besides the health issues. Even if I go out there, I'm 10 years older. I'm 10 years more worn out."

Earlier this month, it was announced that former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was chosen to step in for Snider as the lead singer for TWISTED SISTER for several shows this fall.

On March 5, Snider took to X (formerly Twitter) to write: "For a retired 71 yr old I'm great. But I've only got so much tread left on these tires. I decided to use it for the rest of my journey…and not burn them up on stage trying to prove I'm as good as I ever was. I can live with that choice. I would've been a shadow of my former self out there anyway.

"The story of my retirement for health reasons ran wild! I'm not dying. (No, not never!) Just can't do the things I used to do. I'm cool with it. I have a great life! And I totally approve of Sebastian Bach stepping in for me. He's a true fan & will honor what I did with every show!

"My son Jesse and Bas are the only people I believe can deliver. Bas got the call."

TWISTED SISTER's 2026 shows will feature Bach along with guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda. Russell Pzütto, who has toured with Snider's solo projects, will replace bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza on bass. Joe Franco, who briefly played with the group in the mid-1980s, was supposed to sit behind the drum kit, stepping in for A.J. Pero, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 55. However, Franco is not available to play the fall 2026 shows and will be replaced by Joey Cassata, who played drums on Ace Frehley's final original solo album, "10,000 Volts".

At press time TWISTED SISTER has not announced the full list of shows it plans to play with Bach outside of a September 4 stop at the Alaska State Fair.

Snider said in a statement in February that he suffers from degenerative arthritis, and is only able to "perform a few songs at a time in pain." He also said that his intense rocking over the years has "taken its toll on his heart as well."

"I don't know of any other way to rock," Snider said. "The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I'd rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self."

Snider and Bach had publicly praised each other in 2020 after they had a disagreement on social media about whether the term "hair metal" was derogatory.

"I love Sebastian Bach!" Snider wrote on X. "During the darkest period of my career, he stood tall as a Dee Snider fan when few would. I will always be grateful to him for not caring what was 'cool' at the moment and speaking our proudly for the things he loved. Thank you SMF#2!"

Bach wrote in response: "I love Dee Snider. I will always love the music he has made. No matter how much Dee sees himself as 'hair metal,' I will always see him on a much higher level than that implies. He is one of the greatest frontmen and vocalists of all time. Any corny label less than that is an insult."

Three years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and drummer Mike Portnoy. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War. TWISTED SISTER played a highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.