Tragedy ▪ Bankruptcy ▪ Divorce: Jay Jay French on Hitting Rock Bottom

Jay Jay French, the renowned musician and entrepreneur, best known as the guitarist and manager of the band Twisted Sister, opens up about some of the real low points of his life and career.
The conversation kicks off with the bittersweet moment of achieving platinum status for the album "Stay Hungry" while simultaneously grieving the loss of his father. Jay Jay reflects on the complex relationship with his parents and the profound impact of their support, particularly during his mother's passing when he was 22.
Diving into the financial abyss, the discussion explores Jay Jay's unflinching resolve as he faced bankruptcy and grappled with the staggering loss of everything he had built with Twisted Sister. It's a raw portrayal of the stark realities of the music industry.
The conversation takes an uplifting turn as Jay Jay candidly shares the miraculous upturn in his fortunes. From remarrying and navigating unexpected opportunities in music production to a resurgence in Twisted Sister's popularity, his life becomes emblematic of a phoenix rising from the ashes.
As Jay Jay reflects on his roller coaster of experiences, he offers profound insights into the entrepreneurial mindset and the pivotal role of resilience in the face of monumental challenges. His story becomes a testament to the enduring spirit of a risk-taker who has weathered life's harshest storms and emerged stronger and wiser.
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[@VRPRocks]

Hear the FULL HOUR LONG interview with Jay Jay on the VRP Rocks podcast. A link to the episode is here: open.spotify.com/episode/1Prw7zFuIylSkp4fJbFGWy?si=f94eace653834cb1

[@kingtrance307]

People only see the glamorous side of being a musician. Not the tough day to day grind dealing with business and health challenges etc. This is reality. Excellent job Jay Jay! 👍

[@bobthebear1246]

It's absolutely amazing that he is 71 years old now AND been-through prostate cancer. I'm 56, still looking decent for my age, and Jay Jay French looks younger than *me.*

[@cameronlewis1218]

Good Luck, Jay Jay. He always seemed like a stand-up guy to me…

[@atarikid6719]

To Anybody Who Thinks Twisted Sister Was A Joke…Find “Under The Blade” This Album Will Change Your Opinion FOREVER!!!

[@charliec5653]

Hell yeah. I grew up in New York, and heard of them. I wasn't old enough to get into the bars and clubs to see them. I saw Under The Blade in a record store when it came out, and immediately bought it.

[@jamesleyda365]

Dude!!!.... Under the blade🤘 have it on vinyl, I will not part from it and you are damn right. This is one of my go to kickass METAL albums of all time💪🖕🔥

[@user-uz3bh3ru6s]

What moron says TS was a joke?theyre so full of Sht sayin that.Im a Crue fan But TS rocked like a MF n Ill always b a TS fan 2.

[@robspafford2884]

You Can’t Stop Rock n Roll was a heavy one imho!

[@charliec5653]

​@@robspafford2884 it certainly is. The first three albums are their best. I'm not a fan of Come Out And Play.

[@TheChadTI]

Thanks for doing these Twisted Sister series videos. God bless 🤙

[@VRPRocks]

Glad you've enjoyed them 👍🤘

[@danielthomas8507]

My band opened for TS here in new zealand back in the 80s and met the band,really cool dudes and very supportive to our struggling band...jay jay rocks

[@fromalongtimeago]

My band opened for Dee's Widowmaker and he was a complete asshole. The rest of the band were cool but Dee, nothing but a shitbag

[@DevilsDevices666]

Always good to hear stories like this, kinda assume these big rock stars would be too far up their own holes, but Jay Jay seems switched on.

[@RobertHastings12]

I remember around 2001 seeing them headline over Anthrax and thinking that was bizarre, then continued to see them really high up on festival bills. Good for them for making that comeback!

[@russellcarter1872]

Lots of people think of Twisted and Were Not Gonna Take It, kinda goofy band. But honestly Twisted was a balls out kick ass rock band. I saw them multiple times from 84-16. Great live band. Play It Loud Mutha!

[@petebetts3090]

Never a TS fan, but Jay Jay seems like a cool guy

[@dennydude3737]

It's so nice to hear Jay Jay talk about so many parts of his career in the recent years. I've always been interested in him. It's great to be informed with his life experience! Thanks for the music and inspiration Jay Jay!

[@Pamplemousse82322]

Top 5 best live bands ive ever seen. They were tight, heavy, relentless.

[@Shawn-1971]

You're a warrior Jay

[@robertsmithers9059]

Used to go see TS as a bar band in 77/78 at Maxis in Wantagh, NY. He looks great for 71 !

[@dennis8309]

Did you think they were just a good bar band, or was there something you felt made them special being a few years away from making it big?

[@robertsmithers9059]

I thought they were a good bar band, had no idea they would be working on original material or would make it big. I saw them with original bassist Kenny Neil and saw one of the early appearances of Mark Mendoza which according to Wikipedia was Dec. 1978... so more likely it was 77/78 that I was following them, not 75-76.

[@robertsmithers9059]

@@dennis8309 - My friend was a bartender at Maxis and he recorded one of their shows off the mixing board, on a cassette tape. I caught up with him some years back and he didn't have the tape anymore, would have been interesting to hear. Their setlist consisted of Bowie, Aerosmith, Tubes, Mott the Hoople, Lou Reed....

[@wmp659]

Me too. I first saw twisted at the rock palace, fore and aft, Gemini, Detroit, and Speaks No other bar band even came close. You could always tell they were playing by the parking lot Kick ass heavy metal like no other !!!

[@upyours574]

Old school toughness. I wish him well with his health.

[@butterbagboy]

Dude is very resilient

[@dreyablume]

What a life...inspirational to be sure!

[@yeahright302]

always luved twisted sister and still rock out today with there tunes!!!!!!

[@stevew6910]

Life is one big lesson, The ups and downs teach us lessons, Lessons we should teach others, Glad Jay is doing fine,, I think like him, Im doing great today after all the problems, But tomorrow it could all crash down

[@VRPRocks]

Great way to see life. Wishing you health and happiness 👍🤘

[@Irishlen64]

Mr. French I'm sorry for your losses

[@drew7257]

"Can't Stop Rock" was their absolutely best album, and a top 10 album of 1980's music overall.

[@phihelix8777]

Under the blade was a companion that was there in times when I needed an uplift. Loved old Twisted Sister❤

[@soundhealer6043]

He looks 55.

[@sydneysheppard4979]

I saw stay hungry tour!! The capital center..md..you opened for maiden!!! Epic..godbless you bro..Merry Christmas 🇺🇲🇬🇧🇦🇷🇺🇦✌️✌️

[@luvyesmusici4886]

I was there, too.

[@sydneysheppard4979]

@@luvyesmusici4886 dee kicked ass that night!!

[@luvyesmusici4886]

@@sydneysheppard4979 You know, I was there for Maiden. Actually the best show I saw there, ever, was Krokus, Maiden’s first U.S. tour with Clive Burr with the biggest kit I have ever seen, and Priest as the headliner. Dee reminded me a lot of Gene Simmons. Both really tore into mothers who brought their kids to the shows. Dee probably more so because of the PMRC thing that had gone on prior. It was a little too much frankly, but that was part of his gimmick. Kid I grew up, mother was a social worker, connected with one of the drummers of TS after he got incarcerated, and took drum lessons from him for awhile. I think the kid, now deceased ended up playing with Lamb of God, or some band like that. Only saw KISS as my buddy’s brother gave me a free ticket. My brother tried to get me into KISS in middle school near the late 70s. I thought they were the worst American band, but fantastic merchandising. He later got me into the Scorpions. Sad thing is when I did see KISS, I knew every word, to every song, because of my brother. And I got to give my brother one if Paul’s picks.

[@Triple3hot]

FYI: Jay jay auditioned for Wicked Lester, who soon became Kiss

[@VRPRocks]

Yes, and he told me that story here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIOcao2hrLyEpaMsi=ExQ-rNMAa7fzwabq 👍🤘

[@mitchpalmer5116]

I liked Twisted Sister. They were a good band and great live.

[@barbershoppodcast]

Wow - When I was 32, my wife left me, I got fired from a fortune 500 company - and my mom died, all within 5 months - and then - of course, I began a music career and the next phase of my life. It's true - the tools of survival.

[@wernervanderwalt8541]

I like JJ. He's very grounded after all he went through. I laughed when I watched his one interview and he admitted he was a huge Grateful Dead fan and after he saw them for the 22nd or 23rd time live he realized that they were a really shitty band and he think he can do better. 😂😂

[@jonmelquist2825]

Wow u look great for 71

[@fromalongtimeago]

TS was best during You cant stop R n'R and the denim look.

[@charliec5653]

That album kicks ass. Their absolute best.

[@smokesletsgo2374]

As much as they seemed like a joke with their ridiculous look, goofy videos and juvenile song topics when they hit big, they weren't a joke at all, they were legit especially live

[@StuYellin]

Always loved TS but I didn’t realize how bad things got for them, let alone all this bankruptcy stuff. It’s strange hearing JJ talk about seven dust, and how their success was a financial boon for him. I love Sevendust, but I’ve heard nothing but their hatred towards JJ for taking total advantage of them and their success.

[@19800bon]

Saw them in Edinburgh around 1984, fantastic band live

[@gregoryg3256]

🌠God Bless U JJ ...Hang in there

[@michaelkennedy5126]

Jay Jay French is truly inspirational

[@glenarmy1]

What a cool guy, grew up in a small northern Canadian town….somehow back then we got ahold of a TS cassette (the one with “Ride to Live” on it) and you guys had a random little pocket of fans before you took off, in the middle of nowhere. We were also randomly a year ahead of the curve on Guns and Roses. I’m guessing we were more hard rock than the heavy metal fans back then but wouldn’t admit it.

[@jdgoodwin3136]

One way to avoid the swings as an entrepreneur is to get a licensed financial adviser at put away at least 20% of all income, and NEVER touch it. That idea sounded absurd to me when I was in my 20's. How could I give up 20%? I'm in my 60's now, and don't have to worry about money. To this day I've never withdrawn a dollar of the principle.

[@djclabbe88]

I saw them in 2001 or 2002? When Twisted Sister headlined the Sweden Rock Festival, and it was awesome! Still remember it very well 😎 I don't know if it's true, but what I've read it was the headline on SRF that got Twisted back on the roads again? Would be cool to hear it from Jay Jay

[@Ragnar-Viking]

I saw TS probably 200 times from 77 to their signing. TS would jam 2000 people into speaks ! No one could do that. Zebra couldn't come close. Route 110 closed down at Adventureland in Farmingdale. We left our car on the highway and Ran. I sat on a commercial roof and they killed it.

[@petervankauwenbergh3375]

My best friend saw Twisted Sister at a county fair in New Jersey.

[@TheOfficerMahoney]

Love JJ! Fantastic dude! What drive and stamina

[@stevezilla68]

Their Christmas album is pretty darned fun. No foolin'.

[@michaelvrckoff6966]

Love TS still my number 3 band behind DIO and MAIDEN probably number 1 live band

[@Ragnar-Viking]

5000 people at the Commack area and they blew the power out . Dee went nuts. I was 16 years old

[@TMoody]

Dude does NOT look 71 years old.

[@warriorv9359]

U made it Brother

[@clutch2827]

Wise man.

[@Davo-gj7gl]

Great video 👍

[@Brandonsucks860]

Jay Jay French. An icon and a great person. Love this guy. Definitely not as high strung as Dee. Lol

[@kens2328]

Everyone please look up the definition of “literally”.

[@VRPRocks]

There's 3 definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/literally

[@stephaneauger1036]

71 year old 😮😳you look 👀 amazing 🤩

[@ajjohnson-dt1cw]

Just subbed, very good interview. looking forward to future content 👍

[@VRPRocks]

Thanks @ajjohnson-dt1cw ☺ You'll be able to watch hundreds of my interviews with legendary rock stars on the channel. This is a one-man channel so I appreciate every view, like and sub! Oh, and i post a daily classic rock poll on the community/subscriptions section that gets thousands of votes too, feel free to join in with the debate on there as well 👍🤘

[@ajjohnson-dt1cw]

Sounds good, KZbin said professor of rock subs also watch your channel... cheers and peace ✌️🕊️🍺

[@VRPRocks]

That's nice to know!

[@johnebejer]

I'd love to work in a pool hall.

[@allen-rp3gm]

Glad they produced Still Hungry which made the original obsolete. Not many bands could remake a classic album and render the original null and void.

[@gussysingh3643]

Good salt of the earth guy jj

[@crisprtalk6963]

WHy are his wives leaving him ?

[@jammer3618]

Why did they have to file bk.

[@TheLordGoat]

Didn't help Dee conveniently had all the money. Most people question how Dee wrote the WHOLE album, its weird to many people considering Dee never wrote a good album again like that. IF he wrote anything.

[@Rjensen2]

Please. All of Twisted Sister's songs are very basic, elementary school level songs. JJ didn't write a thing, it's well known that Twisted was his band. He played the stuff Dee told him to.

[@stephaneauger1036]

Twisted sister is in my top 10 life time Music 🎶 Wasp Venom Merciful fate Slayer Twisted sister Celtic frost Razor Ghost (amazing ) Samatha fox 🙂yes what a angel Living death Germany 🇩🇪

[@VRPRocks]

If you're a big Twisted fan, I've got more interviews with Jay Jay and Dee Snider on the channel... and Eddie Ojeda videos available very soon!

[@stephaneauger1036]

@@VRPRocks 10/4 YES 👍🏼

[@GrootsieTheDog]

"a literal rollercoaster" lol😅 Nope. A "literal" rollercoasters would be an actual rollercoaster.

[@VRPRocks]

Thanks Grootsie

[@stevieg2755]

TS as headliners that's laughable

[@billjohnson7904]

This guys wants to SELL his BOOK BOOK BOOK lol 🤡🤡🤡

[@brianallison1799]

Under the gay blade

[@teddnagurski5583]

They were a novelty band. A joke.

[@DanShaferMusic]

They never headlined because they never had the songs!! I feel bad for this fella, he is one lost individual!!

[@charliec5653]

They were never taken seriously. Between their look and their videos, they came off as a joke to many people. Their best albums were the first two.

[@user-wl6wx9xd9k]

Being a poor Rockstar...sux b@lls! Thanks 4 your story Sir.