In a recent discussion on Classic Album Review, Dee Snider, the dynamic lead vocalist of Twisted Sister, delved into various topics including his views on bands that lip-sync during performances, and shared an insightful encounter with Deep Purple’s legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, which he described as an experience of ‘stupid superiority.’
Snider narrated the moment he first interacted with Blackmore, setting the scene around a foosball table:
“I spotted a foosball table and invited him to play, thinking it would be a great icebreaker. It’s known as table soccer in some parts, but we call it foosball here in the States. It was me and my wife versus him and his girlfriend. I quickly realized I was out of my league; Ritchie was exceptionally good at foosball, completely outplaying us.”
Following the game, Snider attempted to engage Ritchie Blackmore in conversation, expecting a more relaxed interaction after their game. However, the encounter didn’t go as smoothly as he had hoped:
“The game ended, and I thought we had warmed up to each other enough to have a conversation. But trying to talk to him was awkward. He spoke softly, avoiding eye contact, making it a strange experience.”
Reflecting on this meeting, Snider contrasted it with another celebrity encounter that profoundly influenced his perspective on fame and fan interaction—meeting Billy Joel. Snider admired Joel’s humility and approachability, noting a significant difference in demeanor between Joel and Blackmore:
“After meeting Blackmore, I realized I was veering towards an attitude of arrogance, something I noticed in Ritchie that night. It made me reassess how I wanted to handle my own fame. I decided then that I wanted to emulate Billy Joel’s approach to being a celebrity.”
Snider fondly recalled an earlier interaction with Billy Joel that had left a lasting impression on him, highlighting Joel’s down-to-earth nature:
“Billy Joel was the epitome of graciousness. I once brought a poster for him to sign at a party, expecting nothing much. But he was so humble and funny, joking about how surprised he was that no one had drawn a mustache on the poster. It was refreshing.”
This juxtaposition of encounters with Joel and Blackmore led Snider to a pivotal realization about the type of celebrity he aspired to be:
“Billy Joel’s demeanor that day made me decide that’s how I wanted to be perceived by fans. After Blackmore walked away, people whispered, ‘What a jerk.’ But after Billy Joel left, everyone thought, ‘What a cool guy.’ That difference in perception was stark, and it forever changed how I wanted to interact with fans and carry myself as a celebrity.”
