    
Location: Graveyard BLVD. | Yes, I recall Jay Jay talking about Silverstar.
Here you go, right here.
http://www.ruokangas.com/wp/?p=1290
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Ruokangas JAY JAY FRENCH / TWISTED SISTER
JAY JAY PLAYS
Duke and Mojo
Twisted Sister was formed in 1972 by guitarist Jay Jay French under the name Silverstar. The name changed to Twisted Sister a year later, and in 1976 Dee Snider joined the broup as lead vocalist and principal songwriter. Their major international breakthrough came with the third album Stay Hungry (1984) including such hits as We’re Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock.
The band broke up in 1987, and the members were after that involved in different projects. Jay Jay stopped performing except for some guest appearances. Twisted Sister reunited in 2001 to headline a benefit concert in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, NY. The demand for more live dates was immediate, and the band took the first steps toward returning to the concert stage.
Twisted Sister has sold over 10 million records and recorded 25 platinum and gold records in 8 countries in the 70s and 80s. Today the original lineup, including of course the legendary axman Jay Jay French, is playing to the largest audiences of their career in Europe.
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Full Biography
http://www.globalmusicltd.com/twistedsister.html
Twisted Sister was formed in December 1972 by guitarist Jay Jay French, and completed its line-up on February 14, 1973, when guitarist Jay Jay French joined a band called Silverstar. In those days, French was using the stage name Johnny Heartbreaker. He had previously played in some local bands and had almost auditioned for Wicked Lester, the band that would eventually become Kiss. Legend has it that French actually did audition but, according to an interview in the February, 2003 issue of Classic Rock Magazine ,he approached Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley about auditioning for Wicked Lester but, upon hearing a tape of its recordings, decided that their musical style was incompatible with his. On the suggestion of Silverstar's lead singer Michael Valentine, the band changed its name to Twisted Sister. Valentine and the other guitarist, Billy Diamond, soon left, prompting French to assume vocal duties as well.
Jaysin - 2010-02-26 8:28 AM
I forget which one of the Festivals this was posted under as their bio but where do they get some of their info from? Johnny Carson??? It was Letterman and he didn't refer to THIS as being TS. What the hell is Silverstar????
Twisted Sister is an American heavy metal band from New York City. Their work fuses the shock tactics of Alice Cooper, the rebellious mood of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and the extravagant image of glam rock bands such as New York Dolls notably for the makeup. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands. The band is generally categorized as glam metal for their earlier work, although the band does not consider themselves to be so.
Although the band was formed by guitarist Jay Jay French in December 1972, all of their songs were written by Dee Snider from 1976 onward. Snider remarked to Johnny Carson that the proposed name for the band was "This" but was rejected for fear of fans saying "this sucks". He describes Twisted Sister as "Slade meets Sex Pistols". Twisted Sister's most well-known hits include "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both popularized in the USA by regular airplay on MTV tv channel in the 1980s. Many of the band's songs explore themes of parent vs. child conflicts and criticisms of the educational system.
History of Twisted Sister
Pre-Dee period (1972-1976)
Twisted Sister was formed in December 1972 by guitarist Jay Jay French under the name Silverstar. In February 1973 Silverstar changed its name to Twisted Sister. In 1975, Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, a former high school friend of French, joined as co-lead singer and second guitarist. He had previously recorded with a New York City band called SPV. Kevin John Grace replaced Mel "Starr" Anderson on drums. Bass guitarist Kenny Neill (Kenneth Harrisson-Neill) completed the lineup. The band followed a glam rock direction, influenced by David Bowie, Slade, Mott the Hoople, Humble Pie, and New York Dolls. It played at local clubs without much success until 1976.
Club days (1976-1982)
In early 1976, Dee Snider joined the band as lead vocalist and principal songwriter. After replacing drummer Grace with Tony Petri, the group took a heavier musical direction, influenced by Motörhead, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper, but without abandoning its glam image.
Edited by SMF Cyndi 2010-03-05 4:20 AM
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