Dee Snider says he fully supports Sebastian Bach taking over lead vocal duties for Twisted Sister.
Dee Snider explained that his decision to step away from performing was ultimately about accepting the limits that come with age and choosing not to push himself beyond them. While emphasizing that his health situation has been exaggerated online, he clarified that he simply can’t perform the way he once did and prefers to step aside rather than risk delivering a diminished version of himself onstage.
Snider also made it clear he fully supports Sebastian Bach taking over the role in Twisted Sister, describing him as a genuine fan who will respect the legacy of the band. According to Snider, only two people could truly handle the position — Bach and his son Jesse Snider — with Bach ultimately receiving the call.
Bach was selected to front the band for its fall 2026 performances after Snider stepped away from the lineup because of what he described as “health challenges.”
Earlier today, Snider wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“Been waiting for the dust to settle…but it hasn’t.”
“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.”
The 2026 performances by Twisted Sister will feature Sebastian Bach on vocals alongside guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda. Bass duties will be handled by Russell Pzütto, who previously toured with Dee Snider during his solo outings, stepping in for longtime bassist Mark Mendoza.
Drummer Joe Franco — who briefly performed with the band in the mid-1980s — had originally been set to take over the drum spot following the death of A. J. Pero in 2015 at age 55. However, Franco is unable to participate in the fall 2026 dates, so the band will instead bring in Joey Cassata, known for playing on Ace Frehley’s solo album, 10,000 Volts.
As of now, the band has only confirmed one appearance with Bach — a September 4 performance at the Alaska State Fair — while additional shows have yet to be announced.
Twisted Sister revealed Bach as their new vocalist roughly a month after Snider stepped away from the group due to health-related concerns, confirming that Bach will front the band for a run of dates later this year.
During a March 3 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk“, Bach detailed a deeply emotional 45-minute phone conversation he shared with Dee Snider.
“Well, I have tears in my eyes right now. I am SMF Number Two. I was named that by Dee Snider. And I just have to say, I just got off the phone with Dee Snider. We talked for about 45 minutes, and we were both kind of getting teary eyed,” he said.
When asked to elaborate on the conversation, Bach shared the painful physical reality that forced Snider into early retirement from the stage, while also leaving the door open for a potential future cameo.
“I said, ‘I’m calling you in 10 minutes.’ He goes, ‘Okay.’ And I called him and he goes, ‘SMF Number Two.’ ‘Cause he’s always called me that. I’m a sick motherf**ker. I’m a sick motherf**king fan of Twisted Sister. And he’s always called me Number Two. Of course, he’s number one. And so I go, ‘Well, I guess I really am SMF Number Two.’ And then I asked him, what did the doctor say to him? And he’s, like, ‘No problem. I’ll tell you.’ He says that he has arthritis, that his knees are going out, and he has bone on bone. And the doctor said that he should not be jumping around. And he goes, ‘Well, that’s not an option,’ ’cause he wants to do the full show moving around and stuff, and the doctor said, ‘You can’t do it.’ So he said, ‘You have my full blessing.’ He goes, ‘I love you.’ I told him I loved him, and we were, like, teary eyed. And he told me that his family was crying when he said he couldn’t do the tour. I asked him, ‘Hey, you wanna come out and jam with us?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ So maybe he’ll be at some of these gigs on stage with us. Who knows? I don’t know if that’s gonna happen or not. But it’s tough getting older — it’s tough for everybody getting older, and I’m a lot younger.”
“That’s a sign of respect. I respect Dee Snider, I respect Jay Jay French, I respect Eddie Ojeda, I respect [former Twisted Sister members] A.J. Pero, Mark Mendoza, the whole team. And I’ve always been a serious fan — like, really serious. I don’t just like the hits of Twisted Sister. I like ‘Like A Knife In The Back‘. I like the heavy Twisted Sister. And I love ‘I Wanna Rock‘. I love ‘The Price‘. ‘The Price‘ is one of my favorite Twisted Sister songs. I love ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It‘. But the album You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll, I would probably say, is my favorite one.”
Been waiting for the dust to settle…but it hasn’t. 🙂
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) March 5, 2026
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…
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) March 5, 2026
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 @sebastianbach stepping in for me. He’s a true fan & will honor what I did with every…
— Dee Snider🇺🇸🎤 (@deesnider) March 5, 2026
