Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French says he has no time for what he describes because the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame’s “political sport.”
Throughout a current look on the Mistress Carrie Podcast, French was requested about Twisted Sister’s Corridor odds – particularly contemplating the best way the establishment tends to weigh inventive advantage over industrial recognition.
“The factor that is ironic about that assertion is that our document gross sales are up there,” the rocker responded (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “For those who’re utilizing document gross sales internationally, we’re on the 30-million mark, and I’ve bought, like, 37 gold and platinum albums from world wide, and we have performed in 40 nations as a headliner world wide.”
READ MORE: High 10 Twisted Sister Songs
“However you’re taking a band like The Velvet Underground,” he continued. “There is a cliché concerning the Velvet Underground: ‘The Velvet Underground solely bought 3,000 albums, however everyone who purchased one began a band.’ And I like that. I like that cliché, as a result of we’re additionally large Velvet Underground followers. And in order that’s precisely to your level. That is precisely to your level. Now, The Velvet Underground is within the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame, I imagine. So is Lou Reed. And they’re justifiably in it. There are some artists, I do not imagine, are justifiably in it, however that is a political sport, as a result of I feel you realize in addition to I do there’s politics concerned in each Corridor of Fame.”
Jay Jay French Says Twisted Sister ‘Do not Get the Respect We Ought to Get’
French went on to argue that Twisted Sister has by no means a lot as acquired consideration from the Corridor of Fame because of their unwillingness to play business politics.
“It is music ‘enterprise’, and I do know the politics of the enterprise,” the guitarist remarked. “And so it nearly does not shock me that we do not get the respect we must always get, as a result of we’re from Lengthy Island, and Lengthy Island does not get numerous respect. It actually does not. I imply, sure, Billy Joel’s from Lengthy Island — I get that — however Lengthy Island basically does not get that a lot respect within the business, though we’re solely a stone’s throw from Manhattan. We simply do not.”
READ MORE: Watch Sebastian Bach Play His First Present With Twisted Sister
French additional contended that the music business by no means warmed to Twisted Sister, regardless of the group rising on the identical time that bands like Blondie and the Ramones had been rising from New York Metropolis.
“These guys could not work in any of the locations we had been enjoying as a result of they could not promote tickets,” the guitarist insisted. “We, nonetheless, had been promoting out 5,000-seaters throughout New York and by no means enjoying New York Metropolis. So when our supervisor prompt we must always play New York, we stated, ‘There is not any place large enough to carry us.’ Keep in mind, that is 1979 — no document deal. And he stated, ‘Why do not we play the Palladium Theater, which holds 3,500 individuals?’ And I stated, ‘No band and not using a deal has ever bought out the Palladium.’ And we did — twice. And that was some extent we made to the music enterprise, which is, ‘You guys do not respect us, you do not perceive us, however our following is huge.’ And we had a large following.”
Twisted Sister is within the midst of a nationwide reunion tour, with Sebastian Bach filling in for the group’s basic frontman, Dee Snider. The trek is at present scheduled to conclude Dec. 11 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
131 Artists Not within the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame
Many have shared their ideas on doable induction.
Gallery Credit score: Final Traditional Rock Employees
