R.I.P. Jack Russell, Great White singer and survivor of deadly The Station nightclub fire

Jack Russell—frontman of ‘80s hard rock band Great White and survivor of the deadly The Station nightclub fire of 2003—has died. K.L. Doty, the co-author of Russell’s autobiography, confirmed to The New York Times that the singer’s death was due to Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy. “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 added in a memorial on the artist’s Instagram page. He was 63.

Russell co-founded Great White with guitarist Mark Kendall under the band’s original name, Dante Fox; it was changed to Great White in 1984. The band had some hits like “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” throughout the ‘80s, before Russell departed in 1996 to try to build a solo career. He returned three years later, but the band officially broke up in 2001.

The next year, Russell and Kendall reformed the group under the name Jack Russell’s Great White with three new musicians. It was this lineup that was playing Rhode Island’s The Station nightclub on the night of February 20, 2003, when a pyrotechnic display during the band’s set ignited a deadly fire that claimed the lives of 100 people (including the band’s guitarist, Ty Longley) and injured 230 others. It was the deadliest firework accident and fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. 

The fire, which began when sparks from the band’s pyrotechnics ignited the highly flammable acoustic foam surrounding the stage, consumed the building in less than six minutes. The two brothers who owned the nightclub and installed the soundproofing were charged in relation to the incident, as well as the band’s tour manager, Daniel Biechele, who lit the initial spark. The surviving members of the band were not charged but agreed to pay a $1 million settlement later, according to The New York Times.

Russell continued to tour with Jack Russell’s Great White in the following years but officially announced his “retirement from the road” in an Instagram post this past July. “Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love, and support,” he wrote. “Thank you for letting me live my dreams. You have made my life a wonder.”