Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French said the band will “honor” their late drummer A.J. Pero by fulfilling its touring obligations this year with the help of “a professional drummer who is a friend.” Pero died on March 20, 2015 at the age of 55 while on tour with Adrenaline Mob.

Writing on his blog at Preview.inc.com, he said:

“I realize that our collective history is so long, so deep, so intertwined that A.J.’s death has shaken us to the core. It made me realize the fundamental connection that we as a band and as a company share as friends with a nearly 40-year history.”
He continued: “This company employs a lot of people and has created a business model that is the envy of many of our fellow bands.
“We will honor A.J. during our shows this year. A professional drummer who is a friend will be filling in shortly. This will allow us to fulfill our touring obligations and, most importantly, give us some space to make some very hard decisions about our future.”

Jay Jay added:

“We are surely not the same kids who had a dream 40 years ago to become ‘rock stars.’
“We carry the scars to prove it.
“We are adults who run a business, and businesses must go on, even through a curtain of tears.”