NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy '80s metal band Great White whose hits included 鈥淥nce Bitten Twice Shy鈥� and 鈥淩ock Me鈥� and was fronting his band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, has died. He was 63.
鈥淛ack 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," said a posted Thursday to his Instagram page. The death was confirmed by K. L. Doty, author of Russell鈥檚 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.
Fellow metal stars mourned Russell, with ex-Cinderella member Fred Coury writing on X: 鈥淭he world lost 1 of the nicest guys in the business & 1 of the great voices to sail across the airways of the 80鈥檚.鈥� Poison singer Bret Michaels posted: 鈥淭o my friend Jack Russell, such an amazing voice. May you rest in peace.鈥�
A different iteration of Great White that Russell led 鈥� performing under the name Jack Russell鈥檚 Great White 鈥� was involved in one of the most tragic concerts in U.S. history in 2003. During a show at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island, the band鈥檚 pyrotechnics sparked a fast-moving blaze that caused a bottleneck as fans tried to flee. The fire killed 100 people, including the band鈥檚 guitarist, Ty Longley, and injured more than 200 others.
鈥矷t was a horrible tragedy,鈥� Russell told The Roanoke Times in Virginia in 2010. 鈥淚 wish we could go back in time and erase it. I wish there was something I could鈥檝e done about it. This was one of those things where you don鈥檛 see it coming 鈥� there鈥檚 no way you can possibly see it coming. You just kind of pick yourself up and move on. You take what life gives you.
The only people criminally charged were Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, the owners of The Station nightclub, and Daniel Biechele, Great White鈥檚 tour manager, who set off the pyrotechnics without a permit. The three struck plea deals.
Great White held benefit concerts after the fire to raise money for the Station Family Fund, a charity that helped people who were severely burned, 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 a California native who joined Great White in 1981 and found success with its blend of blues and hard rock, before he left to record a solo album. The band split up in 2001, and Russell reformulated a version under his own name.
Great White's biggest hit was the Ian Hunter-penned song, 鈥淥nce Bitten, Twice Shy鈥� from its 1989 album, 鈥�... Twice Shy,鈥� peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, aided by a popular MTV video. A Russell original, 鈥淭he Angel Song,鈥� reached No. 30 on the chart, and 鈥�... Twice Shy鈥� wound up selling about 2 million copies. The band would earn a Grammy nomination in the best hard rock performance category.
The band reunited in 2007 with original members to mark their 25th anniversary, issued a new studio album and spent the last two months touring Europe.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
