Jack Russell Artist Bio

1.) Jack Patrick Russell (December 5, 1960 – August 15, 2024) was an American rock vocalist. He was a founding member of the hard rock band Great White.

Jack Russell has spent the majority of his musical career as lead singer for rock band Great White. Outside of that band, he’s released 2 solo albums, and participated on several tribute albums.

Russell was born in Montebello, California. He grew up with influences such as Robert Plant and Steven Tyler, and became a vocalist for many bands in high school and later on. He met Mark Kendall in a concert and began plans to form a band called Dante Fox. Band manager Alan Niven and Kendall decided to change the name of the band to Great White because “that was Mark Kendall’s nickname. He had very white hair and very light complexion. They called him the Great White”.

Russell was with Great White from 1981 until 1996, then took some time off to record and release his first solo album, entitled Shelter Me, having rejoined shortly after its release until the band broke up in 2001. He then tried touring solo under his own name briefly, then changed the band name to “Jack Russell’s Great White” and toured from 2002 to 2005, while also releasing his second solo album For You in 2002.

In 2006, he began touring with the official Great White band when they reformed with their classic lineup, but left the band in 2009 due to a fall in his bathroom where he cracked two vertebrae and herniated a disc. He had multiple back surgeries and was using a plethora of pain medication. Having fallen into alcoholism, the sudden death of his good friend Jani Lane of Warrant, propelled him to get help and become sober.

Fully recovered, he started touring again as Jack Russell’s Great White in December 2011 to avoid confusion with the still-touring official Great White band which had continued onward in 2009 with a different singer following Russell’s departure. In 2012, Russell guest-starred on VH1 Classics “That Metal Show”, where he revealed his side of the Great White story, and how he was feeling well and ready for more. In 2017, Jack Russell’s Great White released their first album titled He Saw It Comin’.

In August 2021, Jack Russell’s Great White released a sequel to Great White’s 1998 tribute album to Led Zeppelin titled Great Zeppelin II: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin. In July 2021, a cover of “Whole Lotta Love” was released.

In January 2024, Russell released a collaboration album with L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, titled Medusa.

One of the most talented and greatest ever hard rock / heavy metal singers has passed away. The legendary Jack Russell passed away at the age of 63 surrounded by family and close friends on August 15, 2024.

2.) (hardcore) punk rock band from Moscow, Russia. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.