Jack Russell, former singer for Great White, has announced on social media that he will be retiring from touring on account of his health.
“To my fans and friends, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I must announce my retirement from the road,” he wrote online. “After a recent diagnosis of Lewy body dementia (LBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) in May 2024, I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve. Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love and support. Thank you for letting me live my dreams. You have made my life a wonder.”
Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, affecting more than one million people in the U.S. How quickly symptoms — which include problems with thinking, movement, behavior and mood —develop vary from person to person. (Actor Robin Williams, who died in 2014, suffered from the disease.) Multiple system atrophy, however, is much more rare, affecting approximately between two and five people per 100,000.
Russell sang with Great White from 1981 until 1996 when he left to pursue his solo music. Since then, he rejoined the band on multiple occasions, finally splitting with them permanently in the early 2010s. He has performed intermittently with his own band under the name Jack Russell’s Great White.
Russell recently released an autobiography, The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative.
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