Jack Russell, Lead Singer of the Band Great White, Passes Away at Age 63
"It was a privilege and joy to share the stage with him — many shows, many miles, and maximum rock."
Published Aug. 16 2024, 12:03 p.m. ET
In an August 2017 interview with ListenIowa, former Great White frontman Jack Russell was more than happy to chat about how he had turned his life around. Like many in the music industry, Jack fell prey to addiction and at one point was down to 137 pounds. Thankfully, those days were over.
A redemption arc is always a thing of beauty and for someone like Jack, coming back happened several times throughout his life. What Jack didn't know at the time was his arc was close to ending. On Aug. 15, 2024 it was announced that the singer had passed away at age 63. Here's what we know about his cause of death.
Jack Russell's cause of death revealed.
Jack's cause of death was lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, according to CBS News. This was confirmed by Jack's memoirist, K.L. Doty. The former Great White frontman had broken the news of his diagnosis only a month prior, in a moving Instagram post. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road," he wrote. He went on to say his recent diagnosis left him unable to perform, then thanked his fans for allowing him to live out his dreams.
Fans flooded the comment section with love and support for the man whose music brought them so much joy. One man wrote, "Jack, you have been with each and everyday. My CD player In my truck always has a Great White CD in it. I've seen you countless times. I grew up with you, my all-time favorite rock band. So hard to take. I just want to say enjoy your retirement, well deserved. Keep rocking my friend, love you Jack." Variations of this sentiment were echoed throughout the comments section.
Great White posted about the death of Jack Russell.
In response to Jack's death, Great White posted a tribute on their Facebook page. They began by sending their condolences to Jack's family, hoping they understood that Jack's voice will go on. "His love for the fans and his sons went unmatched, as was his own love for rock music," the post reads. It then goes into how incredible it was working with someone like Jack, who stood by his friends and bandmates through good times and bad.
"It was a privilege and joy to share the stage with him," they wrote, "many shows, many miles, and maximum rock." The sweet message ends with the band calling their old friend one of "rock's biggest champions." As the band said, why not let the music fill in the blanks?
