The drummer died of a heart attack in his sleep in Poughkeepsie, NY at the age of 55 while on tour with Adrenaline Mob; he was just days away from meeting with French to discuss Twisted Sister's upcoming summer schedule.

"We will honor AJ during our shows this year," French writes on his blog at inc.com "A professional drummer who is a friend will be filling in shortly. This will allow us to fulfill our touring obligations and, most important, give us some space to make some very hard decisions about our future."