Biography
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Years Active
1972 – present (53 years)
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Founded In
New Jersey, United States
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Members
- A.J. Pero (1982 – 2015)
- Dee Snider (1976 – present)
- Eddie Ojeda (1975 – present)
- Jay Jay French
- Joe Franco (1986 – 1987)
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band originally from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, and later based on Long Island, New York. Their best-known songs include "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both of which were associated with music videos noted for their sense of slapstick humor. Twisted Sister evolved from a band named Silver Star, and experienced several membership changes before settling on the classic lineup of Jay Jay French (guitars), Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda (guitars), Dee Snider (lead vocals), Mark "The Animal" Mendoza (bass), and A. J. Pero (drums) in 1982. It was this lineup which recorded the band's first four albums. Twisted Sister's first two albums, Under the Blade (1982) and You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll (1983), were critically well received and earned the band underground popularity. The band achieved mainstream success with their third album, Stay Hungry (1984), and its single "We're Not Gonna Take It", which was their only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Their next two albums, Come Out and Play (1985) and Love Is for Suckers (1987), did not match the success of Stay Hungry, and Twisted Sister disbanded in 1988.
The band briefly reunited in the late 1990s before more permanently reforming in 2003. The band released two more albums: Still Hungry (2004), a rerecording of their third album, and the Christmas album, A Twisted Christmas (2006). Following Pero's death in 2015, the band embarked on a farewell tour and broke up again after completing the tour in 2016.
Band members
The following principal lineup recorded on every Twisted Sister studio album (with the exception of Love Is for Suckers, in which only Pero was absent.)
Jay Jay French – guitars, backing vocals (1972–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016)
Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda – guitars, backing vocals (1975–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016)
Dee Snider – lead vocals, guitar (1976–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016)
Mark "The Animal" Mendoza – bass, backing vocals (1978–1987, 1988, 1997, 2001, 2003–2016)
A. J. Pero – drums, backing vocals (1982–1986, 1997, 2001, 2003–2015; his death)
Studio albums
Under the Blade (1982)
You Can't Stop Rock 'n' Roll (1983)
Stay Hungry (1984)
Come Out and Play (1985)
Love Is for Suckers (1987)
Still Hungry (2004)
A Twisted Christmas (2006)
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