American rock singer Jack Russell is dead
The song "Once Bitten Twice Shy" nearly earned rock band Great White a Grammy and brought them to number five on the Billboard charts in 1989. Just last month, frontman Jack Russell announced his retirement from the music business. Now, the singer has died at the age of 63.
American singer and Great White frontman Jack Russell has died. He passed away peacefully in the presence of his family and two friends, his family announced on his official Facebook page. Russell died from Lewy body dementia and its accompanying multisystem atrophy, his biographer K. L. Doty told the "New York Times" and "Rolling Stone" magazine. The 80s band, known for their connection to a tragic fire in a nightclub, was founded by Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. Their biggest hit, "Once Bitten Twice Shy," a cover of Ian Hunter's song, reached number five on the US Billboard charts in 1989 and earned the band a Grammy nomination. The group officially disbanded in 2001 but continued to tour as Jack Russell's Great White with a changed lineup.
The band's career low point came in 2003 when a fire and subsequent stampede at their concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, resulted in 100 deaths. Pyrotechnics ignited the club's ceiling, and among the dead was the band's guitarist, Ty Longley. Later, the band collected donations from their concerts for the victims' families.
In July, Russell publicly disclosed his illnesses and announced his retirement from the music industry. "I am unable to perform at the level I would like to, and that you deserve," he wrote on Instagram. "Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love, and support."
Lewy body dementia resembles Alzheimer's disease, with patients experiencing progressive memory loss, psychotic symptoms, or movement disorders, according to the German Alzheimer Society. Multisystem atrophy is a rare, Parkinson's-like disease.
The entertainment industry has lost another icon with Jack Russell's passing. His retirement from the music business due to health issues was announced just last month, but sadly, his biggest contribution to 'The entertainment' was his time with rock band Great White.
