Former Great White singer Jack Russell retires from touring

Jack Russell, former singer of Great White, has announced on social media that he will retire from touring due to health reasons.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from touring to my fans and friends,” he wrote online. “After a recent diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and Multisystem Atrophy (MSA) in May 2024, I will no longer be able to perform at the level I desire and that 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 miracle.”

Lewy body dementia is the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. It affects more than a million people in the United States. How quickly symptoms develop – including problems with thinking, movement, behavior and mood – varies from person to person. (The actor Robin Williams, who died in 2014, suffered from the disease.) Multisystem atrophy, on the other hand, is much rarer, affecting about two to five people in 100,000.

Russell sang with Great White from 1981 until 1996, when he left the band to pursue solo music. He has since returned to the band several times, and finally left the band in the early 2010s. He has performed for a time with his own band under the name Jack Russell’s Great White.

Russell recently published an autobiography, The True Story of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative.