You’ve headbanged to “I Wanna Rock” at Mulcahy’s more times than you care to admit—but did you know Long Island’s iconic glam-metal rockers, Twisted Sister, were once called Silverstar? No glam, no Dee, and based out of a tiny town in New Jersey called Ho-Ho-Kus (yes, really).
Twisted Sister might have eventually owned MTV, but their climb to fame wasn’t exactly a glam cakewalk.
Here’s a few crazy-but-true nuggets about Long Island’s favorite glam-metal rebels:
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The band first came together in 1973 with guitarist Jay Jay French—who almost joined a little band named Wicked Lester with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons before they formed KISS.
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Early Twisted Sister’s regular gig spot was the Mad Hatter bar in East Quogue, Long Island, where they played an exhausting 78 shows, likely paid mostly in beer and regrets.
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Original lead singer Michael O’Neill drunkenly renamed the band from Silverstar to Twisted Sister—though he has zero memory of it. (Don’t drink and name bands, kids.)
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They churned through three different singers until 1976, when Daniel Snider joined. At Jay Jay’s suggestion, Daniel shortened his name to Dee. Good call.
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Dee Snider quickly became their songwriting machine, penning hits like “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
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Twisted Sister’s debut album “Under the Blade” (1982) was inspired by guitarist Eddie Ojeda’s scary throat surgery from the 1970s. Surgery rock, anyone?
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Atlantic Records scooped them up after their previous record label spectacularly collapsed. The band then released “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll” (1983), building momentum towards their breakout.
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1984’s “Stay Hungry” catapulted them into stardom. Both “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” dominated MTV, cementing their legendary status.
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The unforgettable cover of “Stay Hungry” with Dee gripping a nasty-smelling bone was a last-minute idea after a grueling 22-hour shoot in a decrepit building. Photographer Mark Weiss famously screamed at Dee: “Go nuts! Act like you’re a hungry animal!” (Dee obliged, of course.)
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Twisted Sister famously almost threw fists with rival metal group Manowar over some smack talk, but Manowar backed down. Wise choice, warriors.
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Dee Snider, Frank Zappa, and… John Denver? Yep! In 1985, this unlikely trio testified in front of Congress against censoring albums during peak “Satanic Panic” hysteria—when parents everywhere feared metal music and Dungeons & Dragons would turn kids into zombie-worshipping cultists.
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Snider earned the dubious honor of fashion critic Richard Blackwell’s “Worst-Dressed” list in 1985. Blackwell lovingly dubbed Dee’s look “a car crash in a whorehouse.”
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MTV oddly banned Twisted Sister’s “Be Chrool to Your Scuel” video due to “zombie violence,” despite happily airing Michael Jackson’s zombie-fest “Thriller.” Dee blamed the PMRC lobbying group for MTV’s selective outrage. Fun fact: Luke Perry of “90210” fame had a small part in this banned masterpiece.
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Long Island’s hometown metal heroes contributed to their own 2001 tribute album, “Twisted Forever,”—because why not celebrate yourself?
- Twisted Sister is in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame
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In a heartwarming Long Island gesture, the band rocked out for a 9/11 benefit concert, raising funds for NYPD and FDNY Widows and Orphans.
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Twisted Sister even dropped a holiday album in 2006 titled “A Twisted Christmas,” because nothing says peace on Earth quite like metal versions of Christmas carols.
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VH1 ranked Twisted Sister #73 on their 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists—pretty darn good for some glam guys from the Island.
Band Member Quick Hits:
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A.J. Pero joined in 1982 as drummer, briefly departed in ’86, then rejoined for the 1997 reunion. Tragically, Pero passed away in 2015 touring with Adrenaline Mob. He’ll forever be known for his iconic glitter-snare hit in “We’re Not Gonna Take It.”
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West Hempstead’s own Mark “The Animal” Mendoza, class of ’74, became bassist in 1978. Today, he rocks out locally with Joe Rock and the All Stars (yep, that’s Joe Rock from WBAB).
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Guitarist Eddie Ojeda (joined 1975) sports a custom bullseye guitar design inspired by the original Twisted Sister logo—Long Island style points awarded.
After decades of defiant metal anthems and glam-rock glory, the band embarked on their 2016 farewell tour aptly called “Forty and F**k It.” In a proud final note, Dee Snider cheered on Ukrainians adopting “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their anti-Russian anthem in 2022. Now, Twisted Sister has landed a well-earned spot in the Metal Hall of Fame, announcing their first live performance since 2016 at the induction ceremony on January 26, 2023.
Long Island couldn’t be prouder. Rock on, twisted legends.
Photo: Fredrik Ek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
