In a new video interview with music journalist Joel Gausten, Enuff Z’Nuff singer / bassist Chip Z’Nuff discusses his friendship with former Great White / current Jack Russell’s Great White singer, Jack Russell. Z’Nuff’s wife, Katelyn Louise "K.L." Doty, worked with Russell in penning his recently released book, "The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative".
"I didn’t get a chance to hang out with Jack in those early days,” says Z’Nuff in the video, recorded one day before Russell’s announcement that he was retiring from touring due to health reasons. "But in the middle of our career—when we were touring around and there were still a few of us (bands) left and I wasn’t fronting (Enuff Z’Nuff) then—I remember him coming out to a show. I was looking out at the side of the stage and going, 'Wow! That’s Jack Russell.' Then I realized he’s singing every word to the songs. He knew every single Enuff Z’Nuff song there was. I thought, 'Much respect there!' Then we got a chance to hang out together, and I realized that the bands he loved and grew up with are the same kind of bands I love—Beatles, Mott the Hoople, Cheap Trick, Queen. We were on the same page right away.”
Z’Nuff also speaks fondly of Enuff Z’ Nuff’s experience touring with Jack Russell’s Great White a few years back.
"Jack had beautiful pipes. He showed up every single night. We played, I think, four or five nights a week […] At the end of the day, we really bonded. He told me old stories from the old days, and I was really smitten by his candor and how honest he was with all the stuff those cats did. I look back now in hindsight, and I go, 'Man, I wish there could have been a second leg to (that tour),' because it really was a lot of fun hanging out with Jack at all those shows, and seeing all the rock stars that would show up and pay support to Jack and Enuff Z’Nuff at those gigs. It was really nice. We probably won’t get that chance ever again, but I’ll be able to keep those memories with me. I think this book […] will remind people that not only was (Jack Russell’s Great White) a great band, but they went through a lot of trials and tribulations—a lot of tough stuff that they had to deal with—and they, for some reason, were strong enough to withstand the punishment."
The full video interview is availabel below courtesy of Glory is Noise TV.
Jack Russell, a founding member of American rock band Great White, who has maintained a decades-long career on the road, announced Tuesday that he is retiring from touring, reports Oscar Areliz of Pollstar.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road,” Russell said in a statement. “After a recent diagnosis of Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy in May 2024, I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve. Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love and support. Thank you for letting me live my dreams.”
Russell was the lead vocalist for multi-platinum band Great White, which rose to prominence in the late ’80s with hit singles “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” and “The Angel Song.” The singer has been performing as Jack Russell’s Great White since 2011.
Earlier this week, former Great White frontman, Jack Russell, released his long-awaited autobiography.
Author K. L. Doty states: "It is with long-awaited excitement and a heart full of joy that I announce the official release of Jack Russell’s autobiography, The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative. Many deserve our thanks. Not a single drop of their love and support will go uncherished. This book was written in such a way that the heart of all humankind might open to let in the beauty of the story that each and every one of us has. Jack and I hope you enjoy every chapter and every word of his.”
The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll narrative is available wherever books are sold worldwide. This book features a foreword from Lita Ford, and never-before-seen photos of the earliest formation of Great White taken by famed punk rock photographer Edward Colver. Cover photo by Mark Weiss
Order your copy here.
