Yesterday, August 15th, Jack Russell, a founding member of American rock band Great White, passed away at the age of 63.
A cause of death has not yet been revealed. However, the following message was posted on the official Facebook page of Jack Russell's Great White:
A few of Jack's friends have since shared their feelings:
Great White guitarist Mark Kendall: "As you can imagine, though the end of the road was rough and broken, it wasn’t always that way. Jack and I shared amazing times & lived our dreams together! I choose to remember all the good times we shared on stage & off. Please give me time as I navigate through the process of his passing. RIP Jack."
Cinderella drummer Fred Coury: "I just heard of the passing of our good friend Jack Russell. So sad. Jack and I had a lot of great adventures through the years, on and off of the ocean. The world lost one of the nicest guys in the business and one of the greatest voices to sail across the airwaves from the 80’s. Rest in peace, Captain."
L.A. Guns vocalist Phil Lewis: "We did several live morning radio shows together,I remember one at 7 am in Long Beach. Truthfully 'Jayne' sounded a lot better the night before and I struggled. However Jack came on after and sounded better than his record. It was humbling. He was that f*cking good and suffered zero ego issues. Gonna miss you Captain Jack you really were an authentic gentleman pirate. The last few years were a challenge but you were a trouper and team player and now the pain has gone and a spirit like yours is eternal. Thank you for the music and your friendship."
On July 17th, Jack Russell announced his retirement from touring, issuing the following statement:
Great White has since released the following statement:
All of us at BraveWords send our sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to Jack Russell's family, friends, bandmates, and fans. May he rest in peace.
Russell was the lead vocalist for multi-platinum band Great White, which rose to prominence in the late ’80s with hit singles “Rock Me”, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”, “The Angel Song”, and “House Of Broken Love”. The singer had been performing as Jack Russell’s Great White since 2011.
On July 12th, 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.
BraveWords last interviewed Jack Russell in March 2024 to promote his collaboration with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, aptly named Russell / Guns. To read the feature, visit this location.
