Twisted Sister Drummer AJ Pero Died Without a Will

When Twisted Sister drummer AJ Pero died on March 20, it caught his fans and bandmates by surprise — and Pero’s own lack of estate planning has reportedly thrown his family into chaos as well.

Frontman Dee Snider has issued a typically frank statement to House of Hair, calling the situation “the unfortunate reality of irresponsible adult behavior” and using the aftermath of Pero’s death as a sobering reminder of what can happen when we don’t get our affairs in order while we still can.

“Not only did AJ Pero have a family history of heart disease, which he allowed to go unchecked, but he did not have a will, left behind two ex-wives, a longtime girlfriend, four children between the three of them and a mess of an estate to be sorted out,” writes Snider. “Now, there is infighting, mistrust and dissension amongst the family members about how to handle life after AJ. What a mess.”

The band, which has announced its intention to dissolve after a 40th anniversary tour, is doing its part to improve things for Pero’s survivors. “While the legalities of the situation are being sorted out, Twisted Sister is doing a show to raise some money to help the family out in the short-term,” he adds. “This unfortunate situation should be a life lesson to all to take responsibility for the world we create and will leave behind when we are gone.”

Pero’s longtime girlfriend, Michele Agnello, started a GoFundMe campaign to help defray the financial stress that she and Pero’s daughter now face, but House of Hair points out that it has since been taken offline. We’ve all seen the kinds of disagreements that can erupt after a loved one’s death even when there is a will — here’s hoping Pero’s family can rebound from this and start to heal.

Dee Snider Angrily Blames A.J. Pero’s Death on His ‘Irresponsible Behavior’

Dee Snider is placing the blame for A.J. Pero’s death squarely at his late bandmate’s doorstep. The Twisted Sister frontman says Pero should have had himself “checked out” for cardiovascular disease, which runs in the drummer’s family, and angrily calls his failure to do so “irresponsible behavior.”

Pero died of a heart attack on March 20. He left no written will, resulting in a complicated tangle of legal issues those who remain. Snider, meanwhile, has been enduring a complicated range of emotions.

“People ask me how I feel about A.J.’s passing, and, quite honestly, I’m going through a real period of anger right now about it,” Snider tells TMZ. “He was a great guy, and I loved him dearly. But he had a history of heart disease — his family did; his father died in his early 60s of heart disease — and A.J. never had himself checked out.”

Pero had two ex-wives, a long-time girlfriend, and four children between the three women, Snider notes. Twisted Sister have since announced a final, 40th anniversary tour, which will include a benefit show to assist Pero’s family.

Snider says it shouldn’t have turned out this way. “When they did the autopsy, he had 95 percent blockage, advanced heart disease — and he didn’t have to die,” Snider adds. “And I feel it’s, basically, irresponsible behavior on his part. You have a responsibility, as a parent, as an adult, to get yourself checked out.”

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