Dee Snider to Host 'Matzo and Metal: A Very Classic Passover' on VH1 Classic Sunday, April 24th at 7 PM ET/4PM PT

Dee Snider to Host 'Matzo and Metal: A Very Classic Passover' on VH1 Classic Sunday, April 24th at 7 PM ET/4PM PT

Jewish Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Artists Share Their Music Industry Experiences Over VH1 Classic's 'Rock-N-Roll' Version of a Passover Seder

NEW YORK, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1 Classic presents a first-ever television special event that is sure to have you shouting Shalom! "MATZO AND METAL: A VERY CLASSIC PASSOVER" invites viewers -- Jews and Gentiles alike -- to the network's own version of a rock-n-roll Passover Seder attended by heavy metal and hard rock artists who happen to be Jewish.

Premiering on the second night of Passover, Sunday, April 24th at 7 p.m. ET, the one-hour special features host Dee Snider (half Jewish) and Scott Ian of Anthrax, Leslie West of Mountain and Snider's Twisted Sister bandmate JJ French discussing their experiences in the music industry as well as their Jewish heritage over a special Passover meal. All foods served will be Kosher of course courtesy of the special's sponsor Manischewitz.

Those unfamiliar with a Passover Seder will hear how music plays a key role in the traditional dinner and see how the rich history of Passover is shared through storytelling. And hard rock and heavy metal musicians certainly have plenty of stories!

"Matzo and Metal: A Very Classic Passover" special guests:

Dee Snider is best known as the lead singer for Twisted Sister, the heavy metal band that became an MTV staple with the music videos for their hit songs "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock." Snider is also a part of the VH1 Classic family, serving as an on-air talent, interviewing artists and hosting event programming. He also has a new Halloween-themed music project called Van Helsing's Curse, described as "Trans-Siberian Orchestra for the Halloween season." In addition, Snider has his own radio show "Dee Snider Radio" on WMMR Radio in Philadelphia.

Leslie West has gained fame during his 30-plus year career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as "Mississippi Queen" and "Never in My Life" which are still staples of rock radio to this day.

Scott Ian's contributions to the world of heavy metal are quite significant. Falling under the spell of KISS at an early age, Scott's interest in guitar developed and he later founded the group Anthrax. Ian is best known for contributing to the group's unique sound with his crunchy guitar riffs, in addition to being the group's chief lyricist. Over time, Anthrax helped create the style now known today as "thrash metal."

Guitarist JJ French founded Twisted Sister back in 1972. The group, initially a glam rock cover band in New York City, got off to a slow start, but by late 1975, a somewhat stable lineup had coalesced around French and his other band mates, making a name for themselves in and around the City. The band evolved from glam rock into a more metal sound that soon catapulted them into worldwide stardom.

Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that present videos, concerts and music specials all day long, featuring the best of rock, soul and pop artists from the 60's, 70's and 80's, including The Beatles, The Stones, Tina Turner, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, The Who, Stevie Wonder, The Police and many more. Learn more at http://www.vh1classic.com/

Source: VH1 Classic

CONTACT: Brett Henne of VH1, +1-212-846-6752; Lynne Davis Corbin of Mosaic NYC, +1-917-446-7719, for VH1 Classic; Alison Mochizuki of MTVN, +1-310-752-8044, for VH1 Classic

Web site: http://www.vh1.com/ http://www.vh1classic.com/

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