Former GREAT WHITE singer JACK RUSSELL dead at 63
16-08-2024
Former GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell has died at the age of 63.
Yesterday (Thursday, August 15), the following statement was posted on Jack‘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.”
GREAT WHITE has paid tribute to the band’s original singer Jack Russell, who died at the age of 63.
GREAT WHITE released the following statement via social media: “Our deepest condolences to the family of Jack Russell. We hope they take comfort in knowing Jack‘s incredible voice will live on forever. His love for the fans and his sons went unmatched, as was his own love for rock music.
“What do you say about someone that was there by your side on such an amazing journey, the good and the bad? We prefer to let the music fill in the blanks. All those wonderful years together will be held close to our hearts. It was a privilege and joy to share the stage with him -many shows, many miles, and maximum rock. In the studio, Jack was amazing. He always came ready to work. And work hard, he did. Jack stayed until he got the best performance for each song. He brought the same excellence to every show. The consistency of his live performances were always beyond comparison.
“Rest In Peace, to one of rock’s biggest champions.”
The news of Jack‘s passing comes less than a month after he announced that he was retiring from touring following a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia.
“To my fans and friends, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road,” Russell said in a statement on July 17. “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.”
Lewy body dementia is the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.
Lewy body dementia impacts memory, decision-making and ability to solve problems. It has led to motor and muscle weakness and rigidity. It also can cause sleep disorders and hallucinations.
Lewy body dementia is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease due to its early similarity to those other neurodegenerative diseases.
Russell was performing with his version of GREAT WHITE when a pyrotechnics display sparked a nightclub fire that killed 100 people at a 2003 concert in Rhode Island. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE. Mark Kendall, who founded GREAT WHITE with Russell in 1982, later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. Guitarist Ty Longley died in the blaze.
Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.
Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by guitarist Mark Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist’s self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell most recently performing as JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.
In a December 2023 interview with Neil Jones of TotalRock, Russell was asked if he still enjoys going out on the road. He responded: “I enjoy the hour and a half of playing. The rest of it you could take it and do what you would with it. It’s not fun. It’s hard. The traveling is just a drag — it’s a real drag. I mean, getting on airplanes and cars and buses and all that stuff is a real drag. We try to keep that to a minimum. We play maybe two, three shows a week. We try to play every weekend, ’cause I don’t wanna do a job that I don’t like. So just keep it to where I can function, have a good time doing it and I’m not complaining about my back.”
Elaborating on his recent health setback, Jack said: “I’ve been having some issues with my back (in 2023 and 2022). So I’ve had to take a little time off. It’s finally starting to get better. But I had to have my back fused to my neck, actually.”
Asked if this is “just because of the rigors of the road over the years,” Jack said: “Yeah, just from pounding the boards for 47 years, just jumping up and down, acting like a fool.”
Russell previously discussed his surgery in an interview last October with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station. At the time, he said: “I had a fusion in my neck and my back, so it was a pretty gnarly surgery. That kept me off stage for a while. I couldn’t even move my neck. Somehow it screwed up my voice a bit and then it finally came back. But it was really weird, really strange… Yeah, it’s coming back, slow but sure. I get people — they can’t tell. They tell me, ‘You sounded just like you did in 1985.’ I’m, like, ‘No.’ It’s, like, ‘Okay, cool. Awesome.'”
In October 2022, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joined the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.
Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24, 2022 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Russell‘s autobiography, titled “The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative”, was recently released via Gatekeeper Press. Penned by author Katelyn Louise “K.L.” Doty, it features a sentimental foreword by Lita Ford, with additional commentary from Eric Singer, Eddie Trunk, John Kalodner, Kip Winger and others. The book, with a cover photo by legendary rock photographer Mark Weiss, is available in paperback, hardcover and e-book form.
For more information, visit www.jackrussellbook.com.