Jack Russell, lead singer of band Great White who was onstage during horrific ’03 concert fire, dies

AP Entertainment Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Russell, the lead singer of the bluesy ’80s metal band Great White whose hits included “Once Bitten Twice Shy” and “Rock Me” and was fronting the band the night 100 people died in a 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island, has died. He was 63. Russell was leading his band during a show at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island when the band’s pyrotechnics sparked a fast-moving blaze that caused a bottleneck as fans tried to flee. The fire killed 100 people, including the band’s guitarist and injured more than 200 others. A statement posted Thursday on his Instagram page said Russell’s “unshakeable contribution to rock and roll where his legacy will forever thrive.”