Bent Sister‘s 50th anniversary celebrations had been recently scrapped, with guitarist Jay Jay French confirming the band had “no other option but to shatter” its deliberate 2026 reunion concerts following Dee Snider‘s sudden resignation due to the severe properly being concerns.
On February 5, the legendary Contemporary York rock band launched it turn into as soon as pulling the poke on all scheduled reunion dates, which savor been due to the beginning up in April and bustle through early summer season 2026. The resolution came after Snider stepped down from the neighborhood, citing ongoing clinical concerns which savor made appearing at his trademark depth very unlikely.
In an announcement shared all the draw during the band’s social media platforms, Bent Sister described Snider‘s exit as a “sudden and sudden resignation,” along side that it forced the band to shatter all anniversary displays.
Two days later, on February 7, French posted an emotional video message marking the insist 50th anniversary of Snider becoming a member of Bent Sister. Reflecting on the 2nd Snider first entered the band, French acknowledged: “At the present time is the insist 50th anniversary of the day that Dee auditioned in the band. 1976. Right here’s the diary entry. ‘Danny Snider‘ — he wasn’t Dee but — ‘auditions for Bent Sister‘, February 7th, 1976.”
French went on to underline the scale of their shared history. “For the closing 50 years, me and[[Bent Sister guitarist] Eddie [[Ojeda]savor stood aspect by aspect with Dee, now not with a total bunch of displays, but with thousands of displays,” he acknowledged.
Addressing Snider‘s resolution head-on, French leaned into a familiar sports analogy. ” the cliché in sports, when a extensive sportsman retires, they are saying he left it on the field,” he defined. “Effectively, I will be succesful to narrate you when it involves Dee, he left it on the stage. He gave all the pieces his all, and his physique is now telling him, ‘I will be succesful to now not give you anymore.’ And when any individual tells you that, or now not it’ll be main to assemble it and or now not it’ll be main to transfer on.”
French pressured that the cancellation wasn’t taken evenly. “So please realize this turn into as soon as a annoying resolution, but we had no other option but to shatter these dates,” he acknowledged.
Whereas the manner forward for Bent Sister stays unsure, French hinted that conversations are aloof to shut again. “Up to now as the manner forward for Bent Sister is concerned, Eddie Ojeda and I will savor conversations in the next couple of weeks to discuss about what, if any, alternate choices exist for us to continue.”
He closed the message by thanking the band’s fiercely genuine fanbase — affectionately known as the SMFs (Sick Mother Fuckers). “Accurate know that the SMFs all the draw during the sector are the element that kept us alive and kept us going, and we esteem you guys,” French acknowledged. “We’ll likely be succesful to produce all the pieces we are succesful of to always live as a lot as your expectations as fans, ‘motive no person understands fandom bigger than us… with quite luck we will gaze you but again one day.”
Snider, now 70, elaborated on his properly being struggles in a separate announcement released on February 5. In step with the assertion, the frontman has been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis and has gone through a total lot of surgical procedures “simply to defend going,” leaving him “in a feature to utterly originate about a songs at a time in concern.”
“A lifetime of legendarily aggressive performing has taken its toll on Dee Snider‘s physique and soul,” the assertion be taught. “In conjunction with insult to atomize, Dee has recently came all the draw through out the stage of depth he has dedicated to his life’s work has taken its toll on his heart as properly. He can no longer push the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll fury esteem he has performed for decades.”
Snider himself made it clear that compromise turn into as soon as by no draw an option. “I do not know of any wrong technique to rock,” he acknowledged. “The hypothesis of slowing down is unacceptable to me. I’d somewhat sprint away than be a shadow of my ancient self.”
Quoting Dirty Harry, Snider added: “A man’s purchased to know his limitations. Sadly, Dee Snider now is aware of his.”
The now-cancelled 2026 reunion displays had been space to feature Bent Sister‘s three core people: Snider, French and Ojeda. Longtime bassist Impress “The Animal” Mendoza turn into as soon as now not slated to attract shut part, with Russell Pzütto — a usual collaborator in Snider‘s solo projects — launched as his alternative. Drummer Joe Franco, who temporarily played with the band in the mid-Eighties, turn into as soon as due to the draw shut over on the again of the equipment following the death of A.J. Pero in 2015 on the age of 55.
Need Extra Metal? Subscribe To Our Day to day Newsletter
Enter your recordsdata beneath to get a day after day exchange with all of our headlines and assemble The Orchard Metal newsletter.