A.J. Pero Dead: Twisted Sister Drummer Passes Away At 55

So sad! The heavy metal world lost one of its longtime members as the drummer for Twisted Sister has passed away. They're going to have to headbang through tears tonight. Fans of Twisted Sister and heavy metal alike were devastated when the band broke the news that their longtime drummer, A.J. Pero, had passed away at the age of 55.

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March 20, 2015 3:29PM EDT

A.J. Pero Dead: Twisted Sister Drummer Dies At 55

Twister Sister announced the new of the drummer’s passing on its Facebook page. The band released a statement that read:

The members of Twisted Sister are profoundly saddened to announce the untimely passing of our brother, AJ Pero. The band, crew and most importantly the family of AJ Pero thank you for your thoughts and prayers at this time.

At the time, the cause of death was not reported.

AJ joined the band in 1982 and drummed with Twisted Sister on all but one of their albums. He would leave the band in 1986, rejoining them in 1997. AJ would also drum for the band Adrenaline Mob, who released a statement via Facebook, reading:

We are in complete shock & our hearts & prayers go out to his family. It has been nothing short of an honor to have shared the stage with such a beautiful soul & legend! We love you AJ, rest in peace

The band’s frontman, Dee Snyder, commented on AJ’s passing via Twitter:

My friend, my brother, my band mate passed away today. My heart is broken. RIP A.J. Pero.

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) March 20, 2015

Twisted Sister has been active for over forty years, though their most popular period was during the hair metal era of the 1980’s. They were known for the metal anthems “I Wanna Rock” and their biggest hit, “We’re Not Going To Take It.” In addition to their aggressive sound, the band was known for their flamboyant cross-dressing appearances on stage.

We send out our thoughts and prayers out to A.J. Pero’s family and friends.

— Jason Brow