Former Great White Singer Jack Russell Dead at 63

Jack Russell, one of the founding members of Eighties band Great White, has died. He was 63. In a social media post Thursday, Russell’s family announced that the glam metal singer died “peacefully” surrounded by his family and friends. Russell died of Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, his memoir co-author K.L. Doty confirmed to Rolling Stone.

“Jack is loved and remembered for his sense of humor, exceptional zest for life, and unshakeable contribution to rock and roll where his legacy will forever thrive,” read the statement. “His family asks for privacy at this time.”

The singer announced in July that he would be stepping away from touring due to his dementia and MSA diagnosis. “I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve,” Russell said at the time. “Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love, and support.”

“Thank you for letting me live my dreams. You have made my life a wonder,” he ended the note in July. Over the summer, Russell released a memoir of his life with K.L. Doty titled The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock and Roll Narrative.

According to the statement, a public memorial is set to be announced at a later date.

Russell was born in Montebello, California, and was once the lead vocalist for the rock band Great White, which had its biggest hits “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” (a cover of the Ian Hunter song) and “The Angel Song” in the late Eighties. He co-founded the band in 1982 with Mark Kendall, and dropped several LPs, including 1987’s Once Bitten and 1989’s Twice Shy.

On Thursday, Great White shared their “deepest condolences” for Russell in an Instagram post, writing that his “incredible voice will live on forever” and calling him “one of rock’s biggest champions.”

“What do you say about someone who was there by your side on such an amazing journey, the good and the bad? We prefer to let the music fill in the blanks,” the band wrote. “All those wonderful years together will be held close to our hearts.”

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“It was a privilege and joy to share the stage with him – many shows, many miles, and maximum rock. In the studio, Jack was amazing. He always came ready to work. And work hard, he did,” the statement read. “Jack stayed until he got the best performance for each song. He brought the same excellence to every show. The consistency of his live performances were always beyond comparison.”

Kendall announced his hiatus from Great White in 2000, and Russell announced the end of the band in 2001 to pursue solo music, which failed to succeed. Several years later, the musicians would reunite while Rusell toured with the band name “Jack Russell’s Great White.”

For some, Russell’s name brings up memories of the tragic Station nightclub fire in 2003, which killed 100 people and injured 230 others. Great White — reunited with both Russell and Kendall — was performing at the nightclub when a massive fire broke out after pyrotechnics set off by the band’s tour manager ignited flammable acoustic foam at the back of the stage. The band’s guitarist Ty Longley was among the people who died in the fire.

In 2015, Russell announced that he’d release a documentary on the mass casualty. “It’s a story of my life intertwined with the story of the fire,” Russell said at the time. “It’s really hard, you know, but it’s going to give me a chance to apologize and say how I feel about it. I never had the chance to say, ‘I’m sorry.’”

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While Russell was not charged, he and Great White did settle a $1 million lawsuit with victims of the fire, which was part of an overall $176 million settlement fund. “That is that band’s legacy,” Victoria Potvin Eagan, a fan who escaped the tragedy, told Rolling Stone in 2013.

Great White and Russell reunited in 2006, but separated once again in 2009 due to Russell’s health issues related to his addiction issues. Russell exited the group and ended up suing Kendall and the Great White band, though they eventually reached an agreement.

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Kendall has continued to tour with the Great White name with rotating vocalists. His version of the band made headlines for performing in July 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, with no social distancing or masks.

This story was updated at 8:25 p.m. ET on Aug. 16 to include his confirmed cause of death.
This story was updated at 8:50 p.m. ET on Aug. 16 to include Great White’s statement about Russell’s death.