Sophia Michaels
Jack Russell, the former lead vocalist of the band Great White, passed away on August 15, 20124 at the age of 63. His family confirmed the news in an Instagram post, expressing their sadness over the loss of Jack Patrick Russell. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife, son, and other family members. The cause of death was lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, as stated by K.L. Doty, the author of Russell’s memoir, according to WBZ-TV. Just prior to his passing, Russell announced his retirement from live performances due to his lewy body dementia diagnosis, citing his inability to meet his desired performance level in a Facebook post in July.
Great White initially gained fame in the ’80s and early ’90s with their popular cover of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.” Sadly, Russell was performing during the tragic Station Nightclub fire in 2003, which claimed the lives of over 100 individuals and left 200 others injured. In his memoir released shortly before his death, Russell extended an apology to the families of the fire’s victims, acknowledging the pain and loss they endured [via WBZ-TV].
Subsequently, the singer departed from Great White and formed Jack Russell’s Great White, leading to a prolonged dispute with a former bandmate.
Jack Russell’s Strained Relationship with Mark Kendall
After departing from Great White in 1996, Jack Russell formed his own band. In 2006, he rejoined Great White, only to leave the group permanently in 2011. Tensions arose between Russell and the band’s co-founder, guitarist Mark Kendall, as detailed by the singer in December 2022. Russell expressed his disappointment over the strained relationship, reminiscing about their past friendship and the current lack of communication, highlighting Kendall’s negative comments about him. However, Kendall attributed the band’s breakup to Russell’s battles with substance abuse, emphasizing the detrimental impact it had on his health in an interview with Dr. Music (via Blabbermouth.net).
In later years, Russell managed to overcome the animosity and formed a band independent of both iterations of Great White. In February 2024, he collaborated with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns in their band Medusa, releasing an album. Russell expressed his renewed passion for performing after decades in the music industry, acknowledging that despite not being as skilled as he was in his youth, age was inevitable. However, Russell’s time with Medusa was brief as health challenges forced him to retire shortly after.
