Twisted Sister drummer Anthony Jude Pero died on Friday, March 20, at the age of 55.

The heavy-metal band said A.J. Pero died of an apparent heart attack while touring with Adrenaline Mob, a group with which he played in between engagements with Twisted Sister.

Twisted Sister guitarist Jay Jay French said A.J. Pero was on a tour bus Friday morning when Adrenaline Mob band members tried unsuccessfully to awaken him, then called an ambulance. He was taken to a hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was declared dead shortly after 11 a.m.

Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider called A.J. Pero “the final piece in a band that would become an international sensation and one of the greatest live rock acts to ever hit the stage.”

A.J. Pero, who joined Twisted Sister in 1982, was well-known for a scene in the video for 1984’s We’re Not Gonna Take It in which he struck a snare drum covered with glitter, sending it spraying into the air.

Twisted Sister will soon consider what to do about its six upcoming summer tour dates.

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