For decades, Jay Jay French has been a driving force for Twisted Sister, as well as the larger Heavy Metal scene. He was the primary speaker in the (fantastic) documentary, “We Are Twisted Fucking Sister!” - - proving himself an insightful, no bull, fully self-aware, tri-state kid.

His 2021 book, “Twisted Business,” is a more personal story than the movie; it’s a fascinating journey through his tumultuous life and career. The book recounts his experiences as rebellious teen troublemaker at school, Jewish New York kid (named John Segall) with politically active parents, drug dealer, music fanatic, hippie-turned-glam, touching on his origins with Twisted Sister and his time following TS’s heyday as an entrepreneur and motivational speaker.
The book has a bit of an identity problem, first noted in Jay Jay French’s introduction. The book purports to be many things: a “how to succeed in business” guide, an autobiography, and an inspirational self-help book. Following the introduction, the early chapters go heavily into his childhood recollections, telling about his family, school, and crazy extracurriculars, but also discussing how he (like so many others of his generation) was inspired toward rock stardom by seeing The Beatles live on Ed Sullivan. One of his more interesting early pro musical experiences is his auditions for and connections to Wicked Lester, who’d eventually become KISS. (As “Twisted Business” progresses, it does dole out more and project management and life-coach advice, geared toward business success.)
The book is structured to focus on the seven main points of French’s T.W.I.S.T.E.D. outlook, using his life story to illustrate each of those concepts, but it really comes across as an autobiography - - which is fine, because I assume most readers are there for some history of Metal, the NY/NJ scenes of old, and French himself. One gets the sense, even though this book is packed to the rafters with wild and interesting stories, that Jay Jay French has a million more to tell. The guy has led a hell of a life. Throughout, he also dispenses countless pearls of wisdom and astute observations, many of which are a bit unusual to hear or see in print. (e.g.: A few times, he says, “Drugs and alcohol have no place in the business of Rock n’ Roll.” This definitely contradicts the standard public view of the Rocker lifestyle.)
Due to the structure of the book, however, the narrative isn’t always linear, and each new chapter will jump back and forth in time. E.g.: early on, we spend a fair bit of time in the late 1960s, then move forward through the 90s, only to find new stories from the 60s in the next chapter. I get it, but it can be jarring.
French is a plain-spoken, direct kinda guy. Anyone looking for dirt and trash-talking will need to look elsewhere. Specifically, there is a well-known history of animosity between Jay Jay French and Twisted Sister’s legendary frontman, Dee Snider. Their rift - - and eventual reconciliation - - is covered matter-of-factly in the book, but there’s nothing here for the gossips. Anyone looking for juicy Twisted Sister road stories or insights into the songs or albums may be disappointed. Sure, there are some of those bits, but nothing lurid or tabloid. Overall, this is much more about Jay Jay French’s personal journeys and outlooks.
I recommend “Twisted Business” as a good, well-written autobiography of a smart, savvy character from one of the biggest Metal bands of all time. He has a good head on his shoulders, and he brings good perspective and plenty of insights to his experiences - - and to the Rock n’ Roll life overall.