Dee Snider From Twisted Sister

In this incredible episode, the guys are joined by heavy metal legend and Twisted Sister frontman, Dee Snider.

Dee opens up about the frightening health reality check that ultimately forced his retirement from live performances. He details the hypertension, heart conditions, and worn-out joints that led his family to intervene and beg him to stop touring to save his own life. He also shares a hilarious story about how Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson almost convinced him to risk a comeback after bragging about thrusting and parrying on stage with his own new hips.

The conversation dives deep into rock history, highlighting Dee's lifelong commitment to sobriety since the age of 13 and his beautiful, unlikely friendship with Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister. Dee reveals how Lemmy acted as a guardian angel by introducing Twisted Sister and saving them from a hostile UK festival crowd early in their career, and expresses what it meant to receive one of the rare bullets containing Lemmy's ashes after his passing.

Dee also discusses his unwavering integrity over the years, from his iconic PMRC Senate hearing testimony against Al Gore to his relentless advocacy that helped secure a $750 million insurance payout for the victims of the Station Nightclub fire. Finally, he explains the deeply personal reason he decided to try ayahuasca and plant medicine for the very first time at 70 years old to help him transition from a lifelong "warrior" into a peaceful "wizard."

This episode is an absolute masterclass in rock and roll history, storytelling, and personal integrity! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more amazing interviews, and check out Craig and Chris on their respective comedy and music tours.

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 Intro: Dee Snider on Twisted Sister, Health & Lemmy

00:02:57 The Terrifying Medical Diagnosis That Forced Dee Snider to Retire

00:08:33 George Carlin's Best Advice on Aging and Mortality

00:11:35 Dominating Morning Radio vs. Howard Stern

00:13:38 The Dark Psychology Behind Celebrity Impressions

00:16:14 "Don't Tell Your Mother": Dee Snider's Intense Dad

00:17:40 Surviving the 80s: Why Dee Snider Stayed 100% Sober

00:20:32 Receiving Lemmy Kilmister's Ashes Inside a Bullet

00:22:12 Twisted Sister Fired Dee Snider for a Coffee Addiction?

00:25:53 Will Twisted Sister Continue With a New Lead Singer?

00:30:15 Who Will Replace Dee Snider in Twisted Sister?

00:32:08 Stopping the Show: Why Dee Snider Protected Female Fans

00:35:48 Inventing the Stage Dive (And When It Went Horribly Wrong)

00:37:45 The PMRC Senate Hearing: Destroying Al Gore's Censorship

00:42:12 The Dirty Reality of Washington Politics Exposed

00:44:29 The Station Nightclub Fire Tragedy & The Aftermath

00:47:51 Shaming the Music Industry: $750M Justice for Great White Fans

00:51:08 Escaping Peru During Peak COVID-19 Lockdowns

00:52:41 Why Dee Snider Took Shrooms for the First Time at 70

00:56:00 Ayahuasca, Plant Medicine, and Ending "Warrior Mode"

00:59:42 Losing Control: How the Rockstar Ego Almost Destroyed Him

01:02:14 Healing Generational Trauma & Forgiving His Father

01:05:31 The Brutal Reality Behind Writing "The Price" on a Toilet

01:08:35 From MTV Fame to Complete Bankruptcy in the 90s

01:10:47 Why Twisted Sister Hated Soundchecks with Dee Snider

01:11:53 Hiring a Bodyguard to Protect the Audience FROM Dee Snider

01:15:40 "I Didn't Speak Lemmy": Translating Motörhead

01:16:46 Was Lemmy Kilmister Literally an Earthly Angel?

01:21:39 How Motörhead Saved Twisted Sister from a Hostile UK Crowd

01:24:34 The Emotional Reality of Announcing His Retirement

01:26:28 Surviving the 80s Rockstar Ego & Staying Married

01:32:23 When Five Finger Death Punch Opened for Twisted Sister

01:35:22 George Carlin: Crossing the Finish Line Bruised & Beaten

01:36:31 Tricking Paul Stanley with a Fake Gene Simmons Impression