Singer Jack Russell, founding member ’80s hair metal favorites Great White, passed at the age of 63 on Thursday surrounded by loved ones after battling multiple system atrophy and Lewy body dementia.
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"Peacefully" surrounded by friends and family, Jack passed on Thursday, August 15 amid his health battles, according to Rolling Stone, after announcing just last month that he would be retiring from touring following his diagnosis of multiple system atrophy and Lewy body disease, which actor and comedian Robin Williams -- who died in 2014 -- also suffered from.
“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 said in an official statement shared on Russell's official Instagram page.
Fans will remember Great White’s massive mid-‘80s hits “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” “Rock Me,” "Save Your Love," and “The Angel Song,” early staples on the still budding MTV network.
Russell left the group in 1996 before reforming in 2001 under the name Jack Russell’s Great White, infamously associated with the horrifying 2003 Rhode Island pyrotechnics blaze at The Station nightclub which took the lives of 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley, and injured 230 more.
Details regarding a public memorial for Russell will be shared at a later date.