Jack Russell, 'Great White' singer and survivor of nightclub fire, dies at 63

Jack Russell, the singer who led the popular 1980s hard rock band Great White, as well as a spinoff group that set off one of the deadliest nightclub fires ever, has died. He was 63.

The cause of death was lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy, said K L Doty, the author of Russell's autobiography. No other details were given.

Russell's death was announced in a post on his official Instagram profile Thursday and confirmed by Doty. Great White also paid tribute to his death on its Instagram page.

Russell co-founded Great White with guitarist Mark Kendall. The band, originally called Dante Fox, began playing in small clubs in Southern California in the early 1980s. It became Great White in 1984. The group's first big hit, Rock Me, landed the No. 60 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1987.

Great White found success with its third album, which featured its biggest hit, "Once Bitten Twice Shy." The song reached No. 5 in 1989 and earned the band a 1990 Grammy nomination.

Russell briefly left Great White in 1996 to build a solo career but returned in 1999. By 2001, Great White had disbanded.

In 2002, Russell and Kendall hired three new musicians and began touring as Jack Russell's Great White, playing in small clubs. In February 2003, while performing at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the band's pyrotechnics ignited a deadly fire that killed 100 people, including Great White's guitarist, and left 230 injured. It was one of the worst club fires in U.S. history.

The two brothers who owned the club, and installed the highly flammable soundproofing foam around its stage, and the band's tour manager, who lit the blaze, were charged in connection with the fire.

Russell was not charged, but members of the band agreed to pay a $1 million settlement.

By 2005, Jack Russell's Great White parted ways after "the stress from lawsuits, inner band turmoil, and Russell's substance abuse problems, had taken its toll," according to the All Music Guide.

Great White reunited in 2007, but it was short-lived. Russell continued making music with Jack Russell's Great White. He announced in an Instagram post in July that he was retiring because of his health problems.

"I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve," Russell wrote. "Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love, and support."

Jack Patrick Russell was born Dec. 5, 1960 in Montebello, California. He grew up in Whittier, California, and dropped out of high school to pursue music.

He is survived by his wife, Heather Ann Russell, and his son, Matthew Hucko.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.