63-year-old Jack Russell, the founding member and vocalist of Great White, has passed away.

Jack Russell, the co-founding lead vocalist of glam metal band Great White, passed away at the age of 63. In July, he had shared a statement about his battle with Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy. Russell had a successful career with Great White, including hits like “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.” However, the band also faced tragedy in 2003 when a fire at one of their shows killed 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley. After his passing, guitarist Mark Kendall paid tribute to Russell as a champion of rock with an incredible voice. Russell’s music career began in high school rock bands and he formed Great White with Kendall in 1977. The band faced setbacks, including Russell’s arrest in 1979, but they signed with Capitol/EMI in the 1980s and experienced success with the albums “Once Bitten” and “Twice Shy.” In the early 1990s, the band transitioned from hair metal to grunge and Russell recorded solo albums. Great White faced challenges, such as Kendall taking a break in 2000 and the tragic fire in 2003. Despite reunions and legal disputes over the band’s name, Russell continued to perform with Jack Russell’s Great White. In 2017, he released a debut album and was working on an autobiography. Russell passed peacefully in 2024 surrounded by loved ones, and a public memorial will be held in his honor.

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