
DEE SNIDER Says SEBASTIAN BACH Is One Of Only Two People Who Can 'Deliver' As His Replacement In TWISTED SISTER
March 5, 2026Dee Snider says that he "totally" approves of Sebastian Bach stepping in for him as the lead singer for TWISTED SISTER.
Bach ended up being chosen to front TWISTED SISTER for the band's fall 2026 shows after Snider resigned from the group due to "health challenges".
Earlier today, 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.
One month after Snider left due to health concerns, TWISTED SISTER announced that Bach will take his place for a series of tour dates this fall.
"TWISTED SISTER members Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda are thrilled to announce that iconic vocalist and front man Sebastian Bach will be fronting the band for a handful of select dates this fall," a statement shared to the TWISTED SISTER web site on March 3 read. "These appearances do not affect or conflict with Sebastian's current or future solo touring schedule, which remains fully intact."
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.