Jay Jay French recently addressed questions about Mark Mendoza’s absence from Twisted Sister’s reunion activities, offering his perspective on lineup changes in an interview with The Metal Voice. When asked why Mendoza was not part of the reunion, French shed light on the band’s long-standing approach to personnel decisions.

“It happens with bands. Bands are like I was clear when I said this. Me, Dee, and Eddie have played through 10 different drummers and bass players, right? Most people don’t know this,” French said. “We have never spoken about why someone is in and why someone is out. We never have.”

French highlighted the business side of maintaining the band, noting the importance of keeping operations steady without public disputes.

“My attitude is a realignment takes place for better word for however way you have to do it to keep your business moving and you make your business move. And that’s really all there is to it,” he explained. “And I don’t want to bring in any more than that. People know what they know and I have no reason to throw, you know, dirt on anything whatsoever. You make the move to keep the business moving forward and it’s exactly what Twisted Sister has always done.”

The guitarist also defended the current lineup, pointing out that Twisted Sister has retained more original members than many other classic rock acts.

“If you look at Priest and you look at Mötley and you look at Aerosmith and you look at every one of these bands, how many people are left originally? The answer is one, two, three guys. We have four original members. We have 80% original,” French said. “Joe Franco is back with us. He was one of our drummers. He played on our albums and toured with us. So, we have a very high percentage of original band members.”

French concluded by recognizing the realities of the music business, while also expressing respect for bands that continue touring regardless of their original lineup count.

His comments come as Twisted Sister prepares for a highly anticipated return to the stage after years of retirement from touring. According to 98 Rock, the group is gearing up for a 50th anniversary reunion tour in 2026—their first performances since stepping away in 2016. The lineup includes Dee Snider on vocals, French and Eddie Ojeda on guitars, Joe “Seven” Franco on drums, and Russell Pzütto on bass.

Pzütto officially takes over from Mark Mendoza, a decision Ultimate Classic Rock noted was influenced by his prior collaborations with Snider on solo projects. Joe Franco’s return also marks a full-circle moment, as he played on the band’s 1987 album Love Is for Suckers and toured during that era.

Other band members have been more direct about Mendoza’s absence. Blabbermouth reported that Dee Snider acknowledged it is unlikely Mendoza will rejoin, citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Despite these changes, French has remained consistent in framing lineup shifts as a natural part of a band’s evolution—especially one with decades of history. He emphasized that the group wishes Mendoza well, while focusing on moving forward with their current formation for the milestone anniversary.

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Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French recently shared with Goldmine that he was as obsessed with The Grateful Dead as he was The Beatles. French revealed that his admiration for Grateful Dead quickly changed when he stitched up his listening style. He explained:

“I was a huge Deadhead, huge beyond belief. I saw the Dead 26 times from 1968 to 1972. I saw them on LSD 25 of those 26 times. On the 26th time, I didn’t do acid, and I thought they sucked. I never saw them again. And from that day forward, I never listened to a Grateful Dead record ever — ever — again.”

Even though Jay Jay had put Grateful Dead in the same category as The Beatles, he added that his preference changed overnight. French continued:

“Which is odd, considering they [The Grateful Dead] were as important to me as The Beatles were, and then I didn’t give a sh*t one day.”

This isn’t the first time the guitarist shared his dislike for The Grateful Dead. Jay Jay recently also listed his 13 favorite guitarists to Goldmine. Instead of listing Jerry Garcia as his favorite, French expressed why he didn’t like The Grateful Dead guitarist’s playing. He said:

“[Jerry] Garcia is listed last because I was never a fan of his playing. I get the fact that he was perfect for the band, but his style and his guitar tone were never particularly interesting to me. All these other players on my list were very heavy with blues chops. Garcia was not — at all.”

You can read Jay Jay French’s interview with Goldmine here.

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