Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider and his entire multi-generational family have traded the bustle of Los Angeles for the tranquility of rural North Carolina, establishing a new home base in the state. The 70-year-old rocker recently spoke with WFMY, a television station in Greensboro, North Carolina, about the significant life change and his new professional endeavors in the region.
After a decade in Los Angeles, Snider revealed that the collective desire for a different pace led the family—including his wife of 43 years, Suzette, their four grown children (Jesse, Shane, Cody, and Cheyenne), and six grandchildren—on an extensive search for a new home.
“We moved out to L.A. ten years ago,” Snider explained. “A couple of years ago, everybody was sitting around saying, you know, it’s time to get back to a calmer life — not ‘back to’ [but] to a life we never had.”
Their search spanned the country. “We literally looked from the West Coast to the East Coast and slowly started dialing in,” he added. “And North Carolina took the number one spot… People were amazing, and that’s ultimately what it came down to… They were welcoming and lovely, and we said this is where we want to live. We’re all here, by the way… This is our home.”
Now settled in Oak Ridge, Snider is embracing the local lifestyle, particularly the opportunities for his love of vehicles. “I like cars. The roads here are great. I’m also a motorcycle rider,” he said. “So, I mean, in L.A. or New York, where I’m from originally, it’s just defensive riding. But here, you can get up and you can just get out on the open roads and just really enjoy the beauty of the state and enjoy riding and driving.” He even shared a recent mishap with a laugh: “You notice I’m limping — it’s because I was bike trail riding and the trail won the other day. I took a spill. Sometimes the trail wins.”
Beyond personal relocation, Snider is also bringing his professional ventures to North Carolina. Last year, he announced that his film production company, Defiant Artists, would be based in the state, with plans to build a compound and commence projects—primarily action, thriller, and horror films—in 2025. “We’re going to be making a lot of movies,” Dee told Wilmington StarNews.
He is a vocal advocate for the state’s film industry. After attending a screening of the supernatural thriller “The Exorcism” in Wilmington last June, he told WECT, “This is a perfect example of a great movie made in North Carolina… I don’t think the world realizes how many great movies were made here. I’m going to tell them. They’re going to find out.”
This new chapter for Snider and his family follows the conclusion of Twisted Sister‘s touring career. The band embarked on their final trek, provocatively titled “Forty And F*ck It,” in 2016 to celebrate their 40th anniversary, featuring the core lineup of Snider, guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda, bassist Mark Mendoza, and drummer Mike Portnoy. Now, Dee Snider is focused on family, film, and the “calmer life” North Carolina offers.
