The band started its own T-shirt company and record label. The group released two singles that eventually made it over to the UK and caught the attention of Martin Hooker, the president of indie label Secret Records , a small British label that was mainly a punk outlet. Jay Jay…
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Former Twisted Sister drummer Richard Teeter, who had played with the band in 1980 and 1981, died from complications due to esophageal cancer on April 10, 2012.
The band went through three more line up changes between 1979 and 1982. Drummer Joey Brighton replaced Tony Petri, former Dictators drummer Richie Teeter replaced Brighton and, finally, on April 1, 1982, AJ Pero replaced Teeter. Future Shark Island and The Scream drummer Walt Woodward III was also in the…
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The band moved in a more heavy metal direction in 1978, when the group began to record its demos. Two of their demos found their way to compilation albums by New York classic rock radio station WBAB , and were later re-recorded for the band’s first two albums.
In February 1976, at the suggestion of the band’s agent, Kevin Brenner, Jay Jay was told that the band could only go so far without being able to play Led Zeppelin cover songs and urged Jay Jay to hire Danny Snider ( Dee Snider ), who had been in the…
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The band found work immediately, and started playing six nights a week. They secured a residency at the Mad Hatter in East Quogue, New York , for the summer of 1973 and played 78 shows there, and another 27 shows elsewhere, for a total of 105 shows from Memorial Day…
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In late December 1972, Manhattan resident John Segall (who later renamed himself “Jay Jay French”) auditioned for, and was asked to join, the “glitter band” Silver Star from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Silver Star was formed by drummer Mel Anderson (“Mel Star”) as the “New Jersey version of the New York…
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