Jack Russell, the former lead singer of Great White, died on August 7, 2024. 

Great White’s hits include the onetime MTV staple  “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Rock Me,” and “The Angel Song.” 

Russell, 63, reportedly died due to complications from Lewy Body Dementia and Multiple System Atrophy.

Russell’s death was announced on Thursday, August 15, via the late singer’s social media. 

“With tremendous sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Jack Patrick Russell — father, husband, cousin, uncle, and friend. “Jack passed peacefully in the presence of his wife, Heather Ann Russell, son Matthew Hucko, cousin Naomi Breshears Barbor, and dear friends Billy and Cheryl Pawelcik.

Details of a public memorial will be announced at a later date.

Jack is loved and remembered for his sense of humor, exceptional zest for life, and unshakeable contribution to rock and roll, where his legacy will forever thrive.

His family asks for privacy at this time.”

Russell had announced his retirement from touring in a statement posted on July 17.

“To my fans and friends, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road,” the statement read. “After a recent diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) 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. You have made my life a wonder.”

Russell was born December 5, 1960, in Montebello, California.

He met guitarist Mark Kendall in 1977. Russell was arrested after a botched home invasion, during which he (non-fatally) shot a live-in maid. He served 18 months of an eight-year prison sentence.

Great White released their first EP in 1983. Once Bitten (1987) went platinum. Twice Shy (1989) went double-platinum. 

After the group disbanded in 2001, Russell led a new incarnation, Jack Russell’s Great White. 

He was performing with his version of the band when a pyrotechnics display sparked a nightclub fire that killed 100 people at a 2003 concert in Rhode Island, including guitarist Ty Longley. The band’s 1996 – 2000 lineup reformed in 2007. Health complications caused Russell to split from the group in 2011, followed by a new version of Jack Russell’s Great White. 

The two versions of the band sued each other before settling without going to court in July 2013.  

Lewy body dementia is the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.

Russell’s autobiography, The True Tale of Mista Bone, was published last month. It was written with K.L. Doty and features a foreword from rocker Lita Ford. The book is available here. 

Photo: Frontiers Music SRL