Music saved me.
The intensity of that music empowered me and gave me the strength save me. Otherwise I would have just I remember I took a school aptitude test and it said farmer, farmer? Why did they think that I would farmer? And I'm going to know I think it may have been. I think that may have been the starting gun of like I will not be a farmer.
Welcome to the Music Saved Me Podcast, where we focus on the healing powers of music. I'm your host, Lynn Hoffman, and on this episode we get to talk with a true rock icon from a legendary band who is also an actor, a television host, a novelist, graphic novelist, syndicated radio talk show host, composer, recent game show host, contestant.
The list goes on actor.
I put that in there, but secretly, even though he probably doesn't want me to mention it. He's also one of the kindest and most giving guys I know, with an equally incredible family. D Snyder is best known as the badass front man of the incredible eighties rock band Twisted Sister, and he also happens to be a dear old friend Dee Snider.
Welcome to music saved me.
Wen. Great to be here, and thank you for all those kind accolades. It's much appreciated. And yeah, I love to talk about this because you know, music saved me, and I know my music has saved others, which blows my mind.
Yes, well, just because we go way back and I kind of think of you as a brother from another mother, I think I'm going to start with the hardest question up front, which is what you were just talking about. Do you remember when music first saved you.
I fell in love with rock and roll after seeing the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. Ash. I didn't see them. I heard about them being there because my dad had banned television in our house. But that such was the effect of the beatles appearance, just people talking about it made me want to be a Beetle, which turned out you couldn't be that, so I had to be a rock star. But as I started there was
an elementary school at that point. But as I started growing and became this background layer character some you know, I didn't fit in anywhere. I just wasn't. I knew I had more to offer, yet I just was one of those nobody's in school and at about sixteen, I just decided that I would not go silently into the night and people would hear from me. They would notice me, and they would and I had something to say. And it was first the using music to power me, and
that I was drawn to harder music. It wasn't called heavy metal back then. It was hard rock. The bands like Cream and Hendricks and Mountain and all these bands, and it started a grand funk wear road and it led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. These are all hard rock bands. But that intensity of that music empowered me and gave me the strength, saved me. Otherwise I would have just I remember I took a school aptitude test and it said farmer, farmer? Why did they think that I would farmer?
And I'm going to know I think it may have been. I think that may have been the starting gun of like, I will not be a farmer. I'm somebody. I'm going to be somebody. And it was the music that lifted me up and drove me forward.
Now, I recalled back after reading your memoir not too long ago, you had mentioned something about you you always had to shut up and shut up and be good and and sit down and do the right thing and say the right thing. Was there a moment in your childhood when you just decided you weren't going to shut up anymore?
Well, you know, that's a It's interesting you brought that up, because in the new graphic novel, he's not going to take it. They want to do it's about my senate appearance. But they wanted to understand how me and that moment in time converged and how I was there to be that voice to fight censorship in nineteen eighty five. And as we look back and as we talked, they found out exactly bad. I was a kid that was told be quiet, know your place, shush, and you know, and
just sort of pushed in the background. And at about sixteen years old, I got tired of shushing. I got tired of not being heard, and I started acting out in school and not violently or anything, but you know, well, I remember I started wearing a derby that got a lot of attention. But I was in a band and we became a popular local band, not Twisted, when I was in high school, and all those things gave me.
The microphone gave me a place for people to hear me, and it really was first my voice that they heard, and then in between songs I started yeappen and soon I became a thing for d snider to the in between parts. As my wife used to say, I like the in between the songs better than I like the songs, because when you're talking it's entertaining and it's funny. But
I really was, you know. I got tired at round sixteen again of just being a background player and said, I'm I'm going to be heard and I will never shut up again, and I haven't. Now.
You said that the music inspired you. Do you believe that music has you know, supernatural healing powers, you know, something you can't quite put your finger on, but that that drove you, or that drives people in general.
I believe that one I you know when I say what interestingly so here? I am, you know listening to bands I mentioned, I listened to all the bands, and but they're not it's the power of the music that is inspiring me. Then I start finding bands like Alice
who have messages that are inspiring me. The song I'm eighteen was out when I was eighteen, and it was I'm getting chills right now because it was a line in there I'm a boy and I'm a man, and it was like it was like you're in the cusp of being an adult, but you're still treated like a child. And this was one of the first times that the lyrics and Alice was all about anthem. Schools Out, you know, all these great anthems. I graduated when Schools Out came out.
I mean, I'm getting chills, you know, like, have that song come out when I'm getting out of high school. I mean the words now were connecting with me and made me as I wasn't a songwriter yet, but when I became a songwriter, I said, I don't want to sit there singing about you know, heavy metal fantasies or sex and drugs and rock and roll. Well rock and roll, sure, but sex and drugs. I want to say more. I want to inspire people, but at the same time, I'm
inspiring myself. Our first hit in England a song called I Am I'm Me, and it was literally my personal declaration of independence. Who are you to look down at what I believe? I'm onto? I'm onto your thinking and how you deceive. No, you can't abuse me. I won't stand no more. Yes, I know the reason yes, I know the score. I am I'm me, and people said, what do you pop eye? I am what? I am? No, But it was just like what aus I am a me? It's just a statement. It doesn't matter what I am.
I'm a person, and I have the right to have my feelings and my beliefs and my opinions. And so I started using the words to further energize and empower me, but at the same time hoping that people out there were hearing. People like myself who were background players, were listening and going, he's talking to me. I hear this, Yes, this, Yes, he's right, He's right, And I wanted them to be lifted up as well. Well.
It's interesting because you once told me that, and you've told us up front on the show that me Uasac has literally your music specifically has changed people's lives and saved them. Can you maybe share one or two of those stories that you witnessed.
This is the only one I need to tell, because there's tons of little stories of people who tell me that you know, you know that that my music, you know, just empowered them and drove them, and always they turned to it and lifts them up with my words, you know, stay hungry, and we're not going to take it. And all these statements that I was making was all we're all words of empowerment. I get an email and I
was to my email address. I don't know how I'm an email address, and when I see I don't recognize it. I just deleted. But it's said you save seven lives. And my gosh, they saved seven lives. What is that about? You know, going to press read and I got one eye closed, so, like I said, I didn't actually totally read it. And it was a guy who using my music for inspiration. He was a kayaker and kayak deaths happened when the kayak flips over and they get stuck
in rocks and they drown. Playing my Stay Hungry album over and over, he created an air bladder Life Best that gives you air for forty five minutes and it just I'm getting chills again. Oh my just come out. This is years ago, This is years ago, but he said you saved seven lives. This year. It just came out and people are already And if your album, if I hadn't heard your words stay hungry, and we're just driving me forward. I wouldn't have stuck with it, and
I did. And now my invention's reality and it is saving lives. So you have seen your music has saved lives. How's that?
That's a pretty amazing story.
Incredible. You never know who you're touching, who you're reaching. The other day, now, the social media I saw I saw in Indonesia at a soccer game, hundreds of thousands of people singing we're not going to take it in some foreign language but waving there, but I'm going, holy crap. You know, you don't realize you just can't popular with that's art though, whether it's a drawing, whether it's one of your shows. You know, I know that you've you've
done really well in the ratings. You know, you're hoping that your message that you're trying to communicate here will reach people and help people and lift them up. So hopefully you're saving lives to live.
Oh thanks, Well, you know, ever since I've known you, you've you've pretty much been giving back. I feel like that's what attracted us to each other to begin with, not just that we worked on VH one, but but you know, we both wanted to use our platform to do good things. And to help people because otherwise it's really not worth it. But music specifically is really just so special because it's, like you said, it's art, So
it's beyond just us talking heads or saying things. It's it's the things that really reach down deep and grab people. And what I really want to know, I've been with you personally on appearances and seeing how you deal with people of all kinds, all walks of life, and you're
very disarming and you make them feel so comfortable. What I want to know, and what I think everyone listening might want to know, is how does it make you feel when you meet or witness someone who has been helped deeply by your music.
So I don't play anymore. Occasional I'll go do a couple of songs with you know, like the other night I played with Ret Michael's for a couple of songs. It's more fun than anything. But touring recording albums, it's not what I do. But I do a lot of signing appearances a lot, and people line up and I try to get each person on that line. They wait sometimes for hours. They're a moment, you know. I was
trained really well by members of Kiss. I won't name names, but I did my first signing with members of Kiss and they were so rude to the fans. We were sitting at a table together. I just said, I'm not going to be that guy. These people waiting and how could you not look them in the eye, How do you not shake their hand? How can you not take a moment to acknowledge how much their passion for you do. But on those lines, everybody's got a story, and I'm
always glad to hear it. And you're tired of hearing this, No, I'm never tired of hearing it, never ever, ever. And I get people coming up to me in tears, shaking because I meant so much to them, the music meant so much to them. And a lot of times they share with me a story, a memory, something. With the younger ones, often it's with their parents now who passed on, and they talk about how they shared my music or whatever,
and that's a lasting memory. So I find that, you know, I'm always welcoming to everybody who comes up, which it throws people off a little bit, and I expect, I don't know that they want to bite their head off. But at the same time, yeah, I'm just I'm honored and I'm touched. Yes, I was trying to reach them, Yes I wanted them to hear my words. But so
many people don't hear what I'm saying. They hear the catchphrase, and I won't go political, but there are people on many people who use where are going to take it as their battle cry? And not just me. You hear so many musicians like rage as machine killing in the name, people like, yeah, you, we won't do what you tell us, you know, and they're completely missing the point of the song.
And so when there are people who come up to me and talk to me and share with me, and I go, you got it, I often hug them and go. I was shouting in the screaming in the night, hoping people like you would hear me. And you did, And I'm glad I know. And now I'm getting choked up. You wanted that, Oh you, Barbara Walters.
I was just gonna say, give me my Ba Walter's moment.
This is why I wear the stung glasses. I'm getting too emotional in my old age. I love it.
Well.
You were once quoted as saying, there's so much about your life that you didn't see coming referring to all the incredible things that you've been able to accomplish in your career, you know, both career and personally. But looking back on your life now, how much would you say music played a role? I know that seems kind of obvious, but you know what I'm talking about.
Yeah, I know, I was my mindset a third a third, but it was, but it was really It's not really true, it was maybe a third. Like so much more of my life came after music. And I'm not talking about you. I played until it was my sixties, but a lot of it was you know, reunion shows and stuff like that. There was that, you know, up until forty where I was you know, actively, really really creative musically, and you know, so I got so that was a part of my life.
And then I went into acting in voiceover and radio and TV and reality too much reality TV and writing books, screenplays. I'm going to be directing next. So I said all those things. But it really is all about the music, because the music is the foundation, the platform that set me up, that lifted me up, It liberated me, it freed me, It gave me the platform to do these other things. Now, minds you. As we all know from the great David Lee raw taking over for Howard Stearn story,
you can't just start doing radio out of nowhere. It's a craft. And I've been doing radio over thirty years and I've gotten as you know, we've worked together, I've gotten good at it. But it has nothing to do with me being a rock star. It has to do with putting the hours, getting on the mic, listening to the life. But I tell people, he said, you know, what, what are you tell me about? You know, you want to be in radio. So you got to love the sound of your own voice. And they said, what do
you mean by that? I said, you need to listen to air checks endlessly. You got to record yourself and listen back and and it's painful, especially in the beginning, so you learn how to get better. But anyway, all but it all comes down to it all started with music. It's still will wherever be a part of my life. I got a great T shirt this is Death by Rock and Roll on it and which is a good way to go. And you know, but yeah, without it I would have and being nothing.
You know, it can be very personal too.
I mean when you when you put out new albums and music to be judged by the world. When was the moment that you realized, Okay, we're really onto something musically in terms of creating you know that positive emotional feedback with your songs and from your audiences. Why do you think your music still resonates to this day. Is it because it's anthemic or is it because of the words?
Is it the melody?
I mean, there's something magical in there that keeps something alive for that many years.
Yeah. Well, I'll start by saying, one of the reasons I stopped writing is because after you've written and had it received, played on the radio, listen to, lauded and enjoyed. I you know, it's very hard. It's hard for me just go back to writing for my own head and writing. And I wrote and wrote and wrote, and virtually none of that music landed with anybody.
Was that there and.
What to write and write and write? Or no it wasn't. That was painful because once you know, in the beginning, once you've had your children and your songs like your children, and you've been out there and people are just enjoying them, very hard to go back to writing in a in a in a void and just playing it for yourself and not really having anybody hear it. And when you say, these songs are just as as good as the stuff better I write, I knew at one point that was
death Broughto. I wrote some of the best music of my life. The stuff virtually never came out until like twenty years later. It was just sort of a it got shelved by lecture. It's another story. But I got tired of writing stuff that wasn't getting heard after because I experienced how amazing it feels and to see I call it smiles at the speed of sound we played.
We would play these festivals. I play these festivals thirty fifty ninety one hundred thousand people and when you go into the songs, when you go into we're not gonna take it and prove, but I see it from the stage, it's a it's a smiles that start the front row, the first people receiving the audio audio information, and it goes all the way to the back. I could see it, and then the hands and the body language, and it is such an incredible feeling to know you're connecting with
people on that level. Those moments but it's it's a drug. It's very hard because you know later in your career and every single rock star talks about this. You know, I call new Materialists the bathroom song because I don't care what urinary problems you have. The minute the lead singer of any band says her ring's off the new album, you can see people running for the bathroom. Okay, I'm gonna. I mean, it's said, I tell the audience, I say, I see you, I see you that I saw I
saw Zeppelin. More Physical Graffiti came out and that is his greag Garden and they said this one's off the new albums called physical Graffiti. They started playing physical Graffiti, not physically, they played Kashmir. This is Kashmir. Half the arena went to the bathroom or to get a beer because nobody knew the song. Nobody, and it sounded like crapping that Square Garden too. But I'm going, oh my god. So so you know, it's hurtful as a career an
artist to see your music not being respected. So that's why I I walked away from it. That's why I walked away for it. As far as your question about you know, when it all comes together. Well, first of all, Twisted it was together. I was with them for eight years. They were together two years before I got there. I was the only songwriter. We you know, I say, were the Tupac Shakur of retired metal bands because a JJ French keeps finding new tapes to release. And I listened
to these early songs and my god, I'm embarrassed. Oh my god, No wonder we didn't get signed. Oh my god, those songs were terrible. You know, as I said with radio writing, songwriting is a craft. You have to get good at it. So by the time we got the eighties, and that's right when we got signed, I started hitting my stride as a songwriter, really understanding the craft of writing a song. And it is, you know, it is melody meets meets the music, bed meets the lyrics meets
the production. It's all those peas that you've studied and learned how to achieve, all coming together. And it was not understanding that, you know, put us over the goldpost. But I'll tell you that that moment where I knew we arrived. Okay, yes, so we were all we in England. We just released the album. But back in the old days, when you were a child, you would know about this.
It took in America, it took like eight weeks, seven eight weeks for the record to get out to the stores, get out to the radio stations, sach, get out there, you know. So we went to Europe immediately upon release of the record, because over there the countries are like states, and you can go to England and you know, the information has been received, play shows, and we're hearing that in the States. We're not gonna take it as doing well.
We're hearing about a lot of ads going on and blah blah blah, but it's all Internet, nothing like that. We're just hearing it's doing great. It's doing great. Come home and and Susanne and I walk in. We had a pretty big tour in England with big stars. Float into the house as I always do, and I am a god. And Susan goes, yeah, empty the diaper pail. It smells horrible, okay, And I go empty the back. He goes, Now you go up to the dairy barne and get some milk. Okay. So you know what I
thought it was? It was a rock star too two hours ago. Now I'm gonna bother again. So anyway, which I love being a father again. In the car, Ryan is turnal the radio. We're not gonna take its playing W B A B No. I wonder what's playing on? What was it on the other station? Carame w L I R Boom. Hit the button where I gonna take its playing? I said, all right, I'm going with the TRITTECHTA the other rock station in town w P L J boom where I could take its playing. Every station
was playing where I could take it. I'm going, all right, this is happening. When that happens, I've never had that happen on the radio ever, you know, with anybody's music. You know you arrived, you know that was the moment.
Yes, and I want to ask you more, but I'm running out of time, unfortunately. But maybe you can tell the story about how Lenny brought to you on stage and they were throwing bottles. Let me and that's a pretty emotional story, which I remember when you told me, and when I was reading your autobiographies that you made me read sitting next to you on a plane so I could ask you questions, such a deep thing to do.
I would stop talking to us.
Listen read this first before we talk.
I had read recently that the Israeli Defense Force asked you if they could use We're not going to take it as their battlecry to fight these terrorists. And I thought to myself, that must just blow your mind.
A and B.
You're kind of like a superhero. And I bring this up only because you have a new graphic novel that you just recently released and you're the superhero on front. He's not going to take it. And I just wanted to ask what that was all about. Is this your true self finally getting to come out and be the comic book hero.
Yeah, I'm a comic book I was always a comic book kid. I love comics. One of the things I picked up when we didn't have TV in our house reading comics. And yeah, nothing better than seeing yourself represented as a superhero and people, if you read he's not going to take it. No, I don't have a cape or anything, but they just the perception of that's put forth of me going to Washington is that I was heroic.
And I'll tell you, looking back on it, I go, I can't believe that I was able to walk with pants that tight and balls that big, okay, because I mean I look as a wall. My god, I just just like, holy crap. I could do it again, for sure. But Wow, to be twenty something and be that confident in your belief system to go and sit down and stand before those senators and what have you and speak your mind and debate that and argue with them. Pretty proud of that. And I'm proud that people view it
as a heroic moment. I don't view myself as a superhero. I do have a cape at home, but I never wear it on the street. And I just when I hear I heard that that were Ukrainian soldiers were using, We're not we're playing, We're not gonna take it. Israeli soldiers were playing where I could take it our own military, United States military, We're not gonna take it. It lifts them up and helps them do a dirty job, and
it's a dirty job, defending the world's tough job. Then I am more than honored because as the military goes, it is due to the volunteer army that we have that I was allowed to explore all of my dreams. I didn't have to serve in the military, thanks to my dad and all the great soldiers who in the volunteer Army, and I'm allowed. I was allowed to just be in a crazy rock and roll band and be creative.
Of so if something I created because they allowed me to create, that lifts them up and inspires them, it's full circle as far as I'm concerned.
It sure is. And it's so powerful.
And I'm so happy for you that you've been able to make such a fruitful, an amazing career, not only for yourself and your family, but how much you have touched the lives of just generations of people, and you're helping countries. Your legacy. The last thought is you know your musical legacy. How proud are you of that?
Look, my manager always says, you only have two hits, make them doozies, and that's Fill Courson, you know Phil, Yeah, and because he works with somebody with Foreigner and you know he signed Abbah and Genesis, and yes, guy's responsible for about three hundred and seventy five million records sold ac DC. But my two big songs are some of the most licensed songs of the eighties. They're sort of that we will rock you and we're the champions of
the eighties. As far as licensing goes, which is crazy. And then you know, I told you that, just saw a thing of in Eurasia at a football game, one hundred thousand people singing, we're not going to take it. Never expected the music to reach that far. And you know, and if I leave a single song behind and it's become a folks song already wherever you go, the whole world knows a song, then I don't even know who
wrote it anymore, many of them. And that's okay. It's you know, if that I leave that legacy and a song that that inspires people and empowers people to push back, you know, and sometimes you got to push back, no matter we have, everybody has to push back. Sometimes. If that one song is you know, you know, maybe this is maybe maybe I'll write down on my tombstone. He didn't take it.
Well, he did not take it.
He didn't well, eventually he died.
But if you're.
Standing over that grave, apparently he took it one left time.
Like you can't beat that. No one's beat that yet. Let me know when they do.
I'm well, oh my gosh, I hope that day never happens. It's just such a pleasure to know you and call you a friend. And I'm so grateful that you would come on and do this for me today and share all of your personal emotions.
I almost brought you to tears.
Oh well, that's why wear the glasses, see see you know, Oh yeah, yeah, it's emotional. Uh you know what feeling's mutual like a sister to me. And you know, one regret is that you know our past. You know, I live in la You got you and your husband in Connecticut, you know, and it's tough to see your friends. But it's always whenever we get in the air, we just it's like we've never we don't miss a beat.
No, we don't.
And one time you told me I was too nice, and I'm a little less nice now, so maybe something will happen.
That's an old time story for another show. People Me and Lynn talking about doing a show together, and that's one of the said to her, is is it's too nice?
I guess I'll tell you that I can't complain. I can't complain here.
Someone like me, somebody like me doing radio me you have to push back, that's right, you can't. You can't be because I'm so like you know, like like that. You gotta be able to say, hey, I disagree with you on that. No, you know what, just be like my wife. You have to be like my wife. You got to you gotta be able to say no.
Does she get a word in ever? Oh god, I don't say just a word in. I'm quiet in the house. I don't talk virtually at all.
You would think I'm I'm a quiet one. Everybody'll let everybody else shine in the house. Just a little side on my book Frats. By the way, my novel Frats is out now available in Stories are going to be made into a major motion picture. I just found out. I can't tell you more about that. But my favorite review so far was Suzette. She read it, she comes and sort of we're just sort of there. She goes, the book's really good. I was like, why she's it's
like she's mad about it. By right, the book book, it's really good. I'm like, you liked it, she goes, don't make me blow more smoke of your butt than I've been doing for the last forty seven years. Yes, I like it. It's great. She's the tough toughest critic of all.
Listen, I don't mess with a woman who will get on her own house's roof to clean it by yourself. D thank you so much for being on music save to me. I wish we had another day and a half because I still have so much to talk to you about.
But maybe you'll come back again soon.
Well you know a guy. Thanks. You can just say come back on the show when you're ready and we'll do it all right, all right, thanks so much, right awesome