The glam metal rocker announced last month that he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.
Jack Russell, a founding member of the '80s band Great White, has passed away at the age of 63. His family announced on social media Thursday that the glam metal singer died “peacefully” with loved ones by his side.
The statement remembered Russell for his humor, passion for life, and lasting impact on rock and roll. “His legacy will forever endure,” the family wrote. “We ask for privacy during this time.”
While the cause of Russell’s death was not disclosed, he had revealed in July that he would be retiring from touring due to a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, a rare neurodegenerative disorder.
“I am unable to perform at the level I wish and that you deserve,” Russell had said. “I am deeply grateful for the years of memories, love, and support.”
“Thank you for allowing me to live my dreams. You have made my life extraordinary,” Russell wrote in his July note. Over the summer, he released a memoir titled *The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock and Roll Narrative*, co-authored with K.L. Doty.
The statement also mentioned that a public memorial will be announced at a later date.
Russell was best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band Great White, which scored major hits in the late '80s with “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” (a cover of the Ian Hunter song) and “The Angel Song.” He co-founded the band in 1982 with Mark Kendall, releasing several albums, including *Once Bitten* (1987) and *Twice Shy* (1989).
Kendall took a hiatus from the band in 2000, and Russell announced the band’s dissolution in 2001 to focus on a solo career, which did not achieve significant success. The musicians later reunited under the name Jack Russell’s Great White.
For many, Russell’s name is also associated with the tragic Station nightclub fire in 2003, which resulted in 100 deaths and 230 injuries. Great White was performing at the club when a fire erupted, ignited by pyrotechnics set off by the band’s tour manager, which caught flammable acoustic foam on stage. The band's guitarist, Ty Longley, died in the blaze.
In 2015, Russell announced plans to release a documentary about the fire. “It’s a story of my life intertwined with the story of the fire,” he said at the time. “It’s really difficult, but it will give me a chance to apologize and express my feelings. I never had the opportunity to say, ‘I’m sorry.’”
Although Russell was not charged, he and Great White settled a $1 million lawsuit with the fire’s victims, as part of a larger $176 million settlement fund. “That is the band’s legacy,” Victoria Potvin Eagan, a fan who survived the tragedy, told Rolling Stone in 2013.
Mark Kendall has continued to tour under the Great White name with a series of different lead singers. His version of the band drew attention in July 2020 for performing without social distancing or masks.
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