Farewell A.J. Pero

Wow, this is a shocker. A.J. Pero, drummer of Twisted Sister, has died. He was 55. No other details have been released.

Post by Twisted Sister.

Comments

[dale schmucekr]

Damn, so young

[Ace Steele]

Sadly, we bid farewell to A.J. Pero , the 6th drummer to play with Twisted Sister. Even after 38 years, he was still "the new guy". R.I.P. AJ...

[Gary]

4 years older than me. RIP AJ,you're now keeping time in the best house band in the universe.

[Metalboy!]

The Metal Gods pluck another true Rock & Roller from us. May he make the thunder a little louder from the heavens above.

[glamrockerarchie]

So sad to hear,a he at loss and now for a selfish moment I guess this will def put the nail in any chance of new T/S music.

[glamrockerarchie]

So sad to hear,a he at loss and now for a selfish moment I guess this will def put the nail in any chance of new T/S music.

[glamrockerarchie]

So sad to hear,a he at loss and now for a selfish moment I guess this will def put the nail in any chance of new T/S music.

[glamrockerarchie]

So sad to hear,a he at loss and now for a selfish moment I guess this will def put the nail in any chance of new T/S music.

[glamrockerarchie]

Sorry for a the many repeat posts it kept saying page failed

[Bob]

this is incredibly sad. I don't know if any of you have ever heard what TS sounded like before Pero joined the band. I have, and I can tell you that his drumming gave their music a solid foundation to build off of that they simply didn't have with the other guys. I started following TS around '79 when Tony Petri was behind the kit. He was a steady drummer, but not nearly heavy enough for their sound. The real disaster was the next drummer, Fast Joey Brighton. He was fast all right, but couldn't keep time to save his life. When Pero came in, he was that perfect combination of power, speed, and solid time-keeping that really allowed the rest of those guys to do their thing. What most of you may not know is that, for a short time in the late 80s, Pero became a member of T.T. Quick. TS and TT had been running in the same NY/NJ circles since the early 80s, so it was pretty awesome to see Pero playing with them.

[Metalboy!]

Great info, Bob! Wish I had seen T.T. Quick back then. Many times, I had the chance when I lived in NYC. Dammit!!!

[Ace Steele]

I gotta disagree w/ Bob. Fast Joey Brighton's meter was steady as can be. He only left the band due to the heart condition that later killed him. Think for 2 seconds... From 78 til 82, Twisted was the undisputed #1 draw over a 3 state area. Do you really think that when they had to replace Tony Petri with a permanent drummer, that they wouldn't have taken the absolute best guy they could get?

Also, I remember seeing TT Quick when they were doing the AC/DC tribute routine...

[Bob]

Hi Ace. With all due respect and deference to your vast amount of knowledge, this is one subject that I don't need to think about. I have recordings of Twisted Sister with Brighton behind the kit, and you can literally hear him slowing down and speeding up. Plus, on one of the TS concert DVD's, Dee himself talks about how he would have to turn around to Brighton and count out the time for him. I understand that he died of Pancreatic cancer, and that's absolutely tragic. However, it doesn't change my comments about his drumming ability only.

[Ace Steele]

I don't need to argue with you about it. Just saying that at certain times, allegiance's change. Honestly, yours is the first negative I've ever heard about Fast Joey. Most of the old-school SMF's will remember that "Fast" Joey Brighton was dubbed "Octofoot" by the band because he played like he had 8 appendages.

R.I.P. to both Joey & A.J. , they were both SMF's to the core.

[Jakki Steal]

Bob is 100% right!
Sorry, Ace but once again your hatred for successful 1980's glam metal bands has once again blinded you to be able to make a accurate/honest statement about the bands we love & you loathe because you were never able to duplicate the success of them.

To be honest...I really am baffled by the "regulars" here that await your "treasured responses"???

Not me personally but...My older brother knows & is associated w/tons of heavy hitters from 1980's/90's glam metal bands. He knows (& has personal experience with) just as many if not more than you when it comes to the late 80's early 90's glam metal bands.

I could easily really thrill everybody here w/cool personal stories...BUT the enormous difference between (me) & my brother & you is that he's not extremely bitter & filled w/hatred for any band that was more successful than him.

Obviously Ace, you were never good enough in the first place (just like my brother) to make it like the real legendary glam metal bands that are always talked about here.

I know from personal experiences that "Fast" Joey couldn't keep time drumming his way of a wet paper bag. He was easily too fast & sloppy. Everybody & anybody who lived thru those times knows that for a fact!
It was painfully obvious!

[Ace Steele]

Yawn.

[Bob]

Not that Ace needs me to defend him, but I personally find his stories very interesting. Just because he and I have a difference of opinion about Fast Joey's time-keeping abilities doesn't change that. I grew up in New Jersey so I am intimately familiar with the NJ/NY/Philly scene in the 80s and 90s, but I don't have any inside knowledge about what was going down on the Sunset Strip. Because I love those bands, and find that period in music history so intriguing, I appreciate the inside prospective that Ace provides.

Looking back at how this thread has degenerated, I'm almost sorry I brought up Fast Joey in the first place. My intent was to illustrate why A.J.'s drumming was so important to TS's sound, given the drummers they had previously, not drag an innocent dead person's name through the mud or start a flame war between commenters.

[Jakki Steal]

It's not your fault at all Bob!

It's just that this forum has a weird aura about it when it comes to Ace that ostensibly only I am aware of???

While at times he may have insight on certain things from back in the day...It's painfully obvious that he is almost always trashing a lot of the music that most of us here love.
So I'm confused as to why anybody would be interested in hearing his extremely biased point of view.

I just laugh uncontrollably whenever I read any post from him.
He is so predictable.
You would think he would be more open minded given his "history" but alas no!

In all seriousness "I'm sorry Ace", but I don't know what the male equivalent of Debbie downer is but whatever it is, it's Ace to a T.

I'll gladly drop all this BS right now (just had to get it off my chest).
It's just...I don't know what...whatever mind control Ace has over the regulars here he needs to bottle it & sell it cause he has most regulars here wrapped around his fingers.
He must be like a real estate salesman or used car salesman cause he ostensibly have a "powerful" way with words.


THIS FORUM IS LIKE THE TWILIGHT ZONE WHEN IT COMES TO ACE!

P.S. YAWN!!!

[Ace Steele]

Bob,
I say this with all sincerity. Your last post really shows your hearts in the right place, and yes, I agree with you that speaking ill of the dead, in Fast Joey's case, was something I just found questionable. It's all good. As I said before, Twisted being the #1 band in the Tri-State area at that time,(Something you & I were both lucky to actually witness,) they always were able to pick the cream of the crop when it came time to pick a new drummer. All of the timekeepers they had from '76 on, were the elite of drummers on the East Coast. Petri, Teeters, Brighton, Woodward,Franco, & Pero were ALL rock solid drummers. (I only omitted Mel "Starr" Anderson, because I never saw him, or heard him, so I can't judge.)

Which brings me to the latest Twisted question... Dee's comments recently about until A.J.'s passing, them having their "original lineup" ??? Anyone with any sense of history knows that's not true. We wouldn't have had this thread if it was. Twisted has had 8 drummers, Dee's the 3rd lead singer, 2 other guys have had Ojeda's position, & Animal is the 2nd bassist... How is this in any way the "original" lineup?

Look! pre-original lineup! (this is w/ Joey.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPklZuIcqBQ

P.S. Jakki... I don't know who the f*ck you are, Nor do I care. Not once have I ever brought my own bands up on here. Someone else has & I responded. Obviously you got your feelings hurt by some truth or another that I brought to light. Tough Shit.

[Jakki Steal]

Ace, trust me , nothing you could ever dream of saying could ever hurt my feelings...at best (on a good day) you make me laugh & for that I thank you!

Maybe it didn't come thru correct or what-not but I was trying to give you props for your David Copperfield like illusion of how some people here love to think that your opinion matters.

I thank my lucky stars that I am nothing like you!
Nothing you say has ever been the truth!
You come across as such a miserable person.
I would hate to be you!

WARNING:
Please just ignore me cause my opinion does not matter!
:)