(New York) Jack Russell, lead singer of the 1980s blues metal band Great White, whose hits included Once Bitten Twice Shy and Rock Mewho was leading his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire, has died. He was 63.
“Jack is loved and remembered for his sense of humor, his exceptional enthusiasm for life and his unwavering contribution to rock and roll, where his legacy will forever thrive,” he wrote in a statement posted Thursday on his Instagram page.
The death was confirmed by KL Doty, author of Russell’s autobiography, The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock & Roll Narrative.
Russell recently stopped touring after announcing he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, which causes loss of coordination and balance, and changes in speech.
Other metal stars mourned Russell’s death, with former Cinderella member Fred Coury writing on X: “The world has lost one of the nicest guys in the business and one of the great voices that navigated the tunes of the ’80s.”
Poison singer Bret Michaels said: “To my friend Jack Russell, such an incredible voice. May you rest in peace.”
Another version of Great White, led by Russell, performing under the name Jack Russell’s Great White, was involved in one of the most tragic concerts in U.S. history in 2003. At a concert at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island, the band’s fireworks ignited a fast-moving fire that caused a bottleneck as concertgoers tried to flee. The fire killed 100 people, including the band’s guitarist Ty Longley, and injured more than 200 others.
“It was a horrible tragedy,” Russell told the Roanoke Times in Virginia in 2010.
“I wish we could go back in time and erase it. I wish we could do something about it. It was one of those things that you don’t see coming – there’s no way you can see it coming. You pick yourself up and move on. You take what life gives you.”
The only people charged criminally were Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, owners of The Station nightclub, and Daniel Biechele, Great White’s tour manager who set off the fireworks without a permit. All three entered into plea agreements.
Great White held benefit concerts after the fire to raise money for the Station Family Fund, a charity that helped people with severe burns, children who had lost parents, and others. The band agreed to pay $1 million to more than 300 people as part of a settlement.
Russell was originally from California and joined Great White in 1981. He enjoyed success with the band, before leaving to record a solo album. The band broke up in 2001, and Russell reformed a version under his own name.
Great White’s biggest hit was the song written by Ian Hunter, Once Bitten, Twice Shy from his 1989 album. The song reached number five on the charts Billboardaided by a popular video on MTV. An original song by Russell, The Angel Songreached 30e ranking. The group was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Hard Rock Performance category.
The group reunited in 2007 with the original members to mark their 25th anniversary.e anniversary, released a new studio album and spent the last two months touring Europe.