TwistedSisterwas anAmericanheavy metalbandoriginally fromHo-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, andlater based inLong Island,New York.Twisted Sisters best-known songs include"Were NotGonna Take It" from the movieGung Hoand "I Wanna Rock", which hadmusic videosnoted for their sense ofslapstickhumor. Although the band is sometimesregarded asglam metaldue to itsuse of makeup,frontmanDee Sniderconsiders the term to be inappropriate. TwistedSister is also ranked No. 73 inVH1s 100 greatest artists of hard rock. Theband Silver Star, soon to be renamed toTwisted Sister, wasformed after John Segall (later renamed to "Jay Jay French") was added following auditions in the"band house" located in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey in late December 1972.Manhattan resident John Segall auditioned andwas asked to join the "glitter band" Silver Star. Silver Star was thecreation of the drummer Mel Anderson (Mel Star) as the "New Jersey versionof theNew York Dolls",consisting of Billy Diamond (lead guitar), Wayne Brown (lead vocals andguitar), Tony Bunn (bass), Steve Guarino (keyboards). At the same time asSilver Star/Twisted Sister was created, Mel Stars brother, Al Anderson, wasthe guitar player for Bob Marley and the Wailers. Segall hated the name"Silver Star" and pushed to have it changed. Michael ONeill tookover the lead singer role from Wayne Brown who had left. ONeill came up withthe name Twisted Sister[10]at a rehearsal on Valentines Day in February1973. Along with the name change came some stylistic changes that eventuallyresulted in an amicable parting of ways for some members. Bassist Tony Bunn andkeyboardist Steve Guarino left soon after first lead singer Brown. GuitaristBilly Diamond, drummer Mel Star, Johnny Heartbreaker (soon to change his nameto Jay Jay French), and new bass player Kenneth Harrison Neill made up the nextlineup of Twisted Sister. The band found work immediately and started playingsix nights a week (mostly in the same club for the entire week). The groupsecured a residency at the Mad Hatter inEast Quogue, New Yorkforthe summer of 1973 and played 105 nights from Memorial Day to Labor day. Theband played 78 shows there and played at other places as well.[11]By December 1974, when this first version ofthe band broke up, Jay Jay had already played nearly 600 nights and about 3,000performances as the band played five 40-minute shows per night, each withcostume changes, some ending as late as 8 a.m. the following morning. Thesecond version of the band changed lead singers (Rick Prince) and guitar player(Keith Angel) and continued for a couple of months into 1975 before singer RickPrince failed to show up for a rehearsal. In the third lineup change, Jay Jaytook over the lead vocals and management duties. The band split up after LaborDay weekend 1975. In October 1975, the fourth version of the band started toplay the club circuit. Jay Jay hired a former high school friend namedEddie Ojeda, who joined as co-lead singer and secondguitarist, and got drummer Kevin John Grace after reading an ad that Kevin hadput in the Village Voice. Bass guitarist Kenny Neill (Kenneth Harrison Neill)remained and completed the lineup. The band followed a glam rock direction,influenced byDavid Bowie,Slade,Mott the Hoople, theRolling Stones, and the New York Dolls. They played at localclubs, but floundered in relative anonymity. Many former band members werefired or left the band and had some issues with the other members, such as JayJay French.
