What was Jack Russell’s cause of death?

The music world is mourning the loss of Jack Russell, the iconic frontman of the 80s hard rock band Great White, who passed away at 63.

Russell’s journey in the rock scene began in the early 1980s when he co-founded Great White with guitarist Mark Kendall. The band, initially called Dante Fox, quickly rose to fame with hits like “Rock Me” and their biggest success, “Once Bitten Twice Shy,” which earned them a Grammy nomination in 1990.

However, Russell’s career was marred by tragedy. In 2003, while performing with his spinoff group, Jack Russell’s Great White, a pyrotechnics display ignited a fire at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The incident resulted in 100 deaths, including the band’s guitarist, and left 230 injured. It stands as one of the deadliest nightclub fires in U.S. history.

How did rock legend Jack Russell die?

Despite not being charged, Russell and the band agreed to a $1 million settlement. The aftermath of the fire, coupled with legal troubles and substance abuse issues, took a heavy toll on Russell’s career and personal life. In recent years, Russell continued to perform with various iterations of Great White, but health problems eventually forced him to step back. In a poignant Instagram post last July, he announced his retirement, expressing gratitude for the years of support from fans.

Russell’s death has been officially attributed to Lewy body dementia — a type of dementia that gets worse with time as clumps of proteins called Lewy bodies build up in your brain and damage it, affecting cognition, behavior, motor skills, and sleep patterns (as per Cleveland Clinic) — multiple system atrophy, as confirmed by K.L. Doty, the author of his autobiography. Born on December 5, 1960, in Montebello, California, Jack Patrick Russell passed away while surrounded by his family.

Russell’s passing marks the end of an era for 80s rock fans, leaving behind a legacy of chart-topping hits and unforgettable performances. He pursued his musical dreams by dropping out of high school and became an inspiration to hopeful musicians hoping to break into the music scene. He leaves behind his wife, Heather Ann Russell, and son, Matthew Hucko.