Lead Singer of Great White Dead at 63

If you are a child of the 80s and 90s, this one might sting a little bit.

Jack Russell, the lead singer for Great White, has passed away.

He was only 63 years old.

He’s Gone

Russell apparently died on August 15, but it took a few days for the reports of his death to circulate.

Thus far, no cause of death has been released.

A post was made on Russell’s social media account announcing his death.

It stated, in part, “With tremendous sadness, we announce the loss of our beloved Jack Patrick Russell—father, husband, cousin, uncle, and friend.”

Russell has had recent health issues, having recently been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy.

But again, no official cause of death was given.

Great White formed in 1977 after Russell met Mark Kendall and Kendall asked Russell to join his band.

The new band was first called Highway, then Livewire, having even played one show as Wires.

In 1979, Russell was arrested and eventually sentenced to eight years, which left Kendall to start all over again.

Russell was released after only 18 months, and Kendall brought him back to the band, which was now called Dante Fox.

The name was changed to Great White at the recommendation of manager Alan Niven when a kid saw Kendall stick his head out of the car, and they heard the kid say, “There goes Great White.”

Kendall had a flowing mane of white-blonde hair, hence the nickname, and the new name for the band that would stick with them to this day.

The band flopped around for a few years paying its dues, then achieved mainstream success in 1987 when “Once Bitten” was released.

From the early 1990s through 2001, the band struggled a bit, then gained national headlines again when a pyrotechnics accident sparked a fire that killed about 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley.

The band has had a revolving door of members ever since, but they have continued to play, with Russell having retired from touring on July 17, 2024, then dying a month later.