Great White’s Jack Russell Dies The Glam Rock Vocalist Was 63
Jack Russell, the original vocalist of glam rock band Great White, died at 63.The news was revealed on Thursday via a message on his social media pages:
“With tremendous sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Jack Patrick Russell — father, husband, cousin, uncle, and friend.” The note added that Russell “passed peacefully” in the presence of his family and loved ones.
“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.”
In July, Jack Russell revealed that he was retiring from live performing due to battles with Lewy Body Dementia and Multiple System Atrophy, thanking fans for their support and years of live gigs.
A founding member of Great White, it was Russell’s voice that carried glam-rock hits including “Rock Me” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” a cover of a song originally penned by Ian Hunter:
Great White originally disbanded in 2001. Russell turned his attention to an off-shoot project Jack Russell’s Great White. The band was onstage in 2003 at The Station, a Rhode Island nightclub, when a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable foam and led to a terrible tragedy in which 100 concertgoers (and Russell’s band mate Ty Longley) died in the ensuing blaze.
Jack Russell’s Great White continued touring and releasing music in subsequent years until his passing.
