Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider says he expects the band to continue to perform live following the death of drummer A.J. Pero in Poughkeepsie, NY on Friday at the age of 55.
"A.J. was out on tour with a band called Adrenaline Mob, and he had a massive heart attack in his sleep and we lost him,” Snider told X17 on Saturday at Los Angeles airport, as he and his wife were returning from a vacation. “He was the first member of the band to die, and it's very sad."
Asked how the band would replace Pero, Snider replied: "You don't. I mean, will we continue to play? Probably, for his family. 'Cause his family will benefit from us playing, financially.
"It was all five original members of Twisted Sister, and he's the first one we lost. And the band is heartbroken."
Pero was a member of Twisted Sister from 1982-1986, 1997 and from 2001 forward; the drummer joined Adrenaline Mob in 2013 following a split with Mike Portnoy.
On Friday, Snider posted news of Pero’s passing as Twisted Sister members paid individual tributes to their late bandmate.
The singer wrote: “Today I lost a brother. Anthony Jude Pero passed away. A.J. was the final piece in a band that would become an international sensation and one of the greatest live rock acts to ever hit the stage. His sledgehammer assault on the drums helped drive Twisted Sister and I to greatness and inspired me to rock every single show.”
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Search Twisted Sister at hennemusic
