“I’ve also loudly denounced bands who do the farewell tour thing and then come back a few years later; I think it is such a pile of dogshit.”
— Dee Snider of Twisted Sister to Ultimate Guitar – February 28th 2023

“If you’re lucky enough to be in a band that people still want to see after fifty years(!), how can you not answer the call? In 2026, Twisted Fucking Sister will hit stages around the world because WE STILL WANNA ROCK!!”
— Dee Snider of Twisted Sister – Press Release September 10th 2025

NEW YORK CITY, New York — BREAKING NEWS right now from the Big Apple courtesy of Metal Sludge!

In a shocking turn of events, the band Twisted Sister are going to cancel all of their up coming live shows for 2026.

Metal Sludge just got our hands on a pair of press releases that are sure to ruffle some Promoter’s feathers and turn an entire planet of SMF‘s summer plans into an endless train of refunds and cancellations.

The band’s frontman Dee Snider has been diagnosed with a serious health issue, and Doctors have essentially put the kibosh on all of the band’s comeback plans for 2026.

Twisted Sister had been teasing their big return to the stage since first announcing their plans back last fall on September 10th 2025.

The New York based band first retired in 2016 after celebrating 40 years, and with their big comeback the group were set to celebrate their 50th Anniversary (1976-2026).

The lineup was slated to include 3 of the band’s classic era stars including; Dee Snider (vocals), Jay Jay French (guitars) and Eddie Ojeda (guitars).

The band was also set to feature Joe Franco on drums in place of the late A.J. Pero, and Russell Pzutto on bass as the band’s classic 4-stringer Mark Mendoza did not want to participate due to irreconcilable differences.

Now, as the touring season nears, the band are about to issue the following official statements which we have shared below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – New York City, New York / Statements below from both Twisted Sister and Dee Snider

With Regrets,

Twisted Sister Cancels 50th Anniversary Celebration Performances

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, beginning April 25th in Sao Paulo Brazil and continuing through the summer.

The future of The future of Twisted Sister will be determined in the next several weeks.

Stay tuned for updates,

Jay Jay French / Eddie Ojeda
French Management Enterprises

• – – – – – –

A lifetime of legendarily aggressive performing has taken its toll on Dee Snider’s body and soul.

Unbeknownst to the public (until now) Snider (70) suffers from degenerative arthritis and has had several surgeries over the years just to keep going, able to only perform a few songs at a time in pain.

Adding insult to injury, 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. He can no longer push the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll fury like he has done for decades. Says Snider, “I don’t know of any other way to rock. The idea of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I’d rather walk away than be a shadow of my former self.”

In the immortal words of Dirty Harry, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

Sadly, Dee Snider now knows his.

Back in 2022 Snider went on the offensive about Kiss and their ‘Farewell Tour’, which the Twisted Sister frontman had been vocal about for years calling out Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and the aforementioned Kiss.

Metal Sludge covered Snider‘s Twitter disses aimed at Kiss in our article: ‘FARTWELL TOURS … Dee Snider Compares Kiss to a ‘Fart in a Paper Bag,’ Calls Out Bands on ‘Fake Farewell Tours’.

Snider Tweeted on July 10th 2022: “Actually it’s these never ending farewell tours, fake farewells and “we changed our minds” after the farewell that keep me honest. I hate all that fake farewell bullshit. Bands should stay forever if they want to…just don’t sell us a B.S. Farewell tour.”

Snider then compared Kiss to, “A fart in a paper bag“, with a smiley face.

In February of 2023 Snider spoke to Andrew_Daly for Ultimate Guitar and stated the following about Mötley Crüe and Kiss: “The band Twisted Sister, as an entity, can do it without me if they wanted to, but if they were to go out, no, I would not participate. I have an incredible love for the guys, and it was great to get up there with them the other night. It was fun to rehearse with them and hang out with them, and we’re still really close friends, but that chapter of my life is behind me now. I’ve also loudly denounced bands who do the farewell tour thing and then come back a few years later; I think it is such a pile of dogshit.

But to clarify my stance on all of that — you could stay forever. Please do stay forever. Never leave us. Stay on stage until you die. If you look at a band like Rush, they played until Neil Peart couldn’t do it anymore. God bless them. Alice Cooper told me he’s looking forward to being on stage at 80 years old. God bless him. He told me that in person, and I said, ‘Dude, I love you for that, but that’s not for me.’ I said I was done, and I promise you, when it comes to Twisted Sister, I am done. I said that I wanted to move on to other things, and I meant it.

And you know what? Nobody took it seriously. And why would they? Everyone assumed because nobody else, like Motley and KISS, played by the rules, that I wouldn’t stay retired. They all said, ‘What? That’s not how the farewell tour rules work. Dee has got to come back.’ They think that because this whole other rule book was written where people ‘retire’ and then come back a few years later. But not me. Am I open to a quick song here or there or a fun one-off? Yeah, sure. But a whole tour with long sets? No way.”

Ironically, the band Rush have also recently announced a return to the road with replacement drummer Anika Nilles filling the shoes of the late Neil Peart.

Just a few short years removed from those above comments, Snider and Twisted Sister announced their big comeback plans in the fall of 2025 for their 50th Anniversary comeback in 2026.

Now on the heels of this latest health scare for Snider, it seems that big reunion along with what some have estimated to be upwards of $100M or more in gross revenue, just might slip through their hands.

Metal Sludge will keep you informed as more details emerge regarding the latest from Dee Snider and the Twisted Sister camp.

This story is still developing…

Stay tuned to Metal Sludge for more Breaking News, Updates and Features along with both New Interviews and Classic 20 Questions.