GREAT WHITE's MARK KENDALL Remembers His 'Best Friend' JACK RUSSELL: 'We Were Connected At The Hip Our Entire Career'

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall spoke about the band's original singer Jack Russell, who died in August 2024 at the age of 63. Jack passed away less than a month after he announced that he was retiring from touring following a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia. Regarding GREAT WHITE's split with Russell, Kendall said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Jack Russell was a beautiful man and my best friend. We were connected at the hip our entire career. It was never personal. He declined to a point where he couldn't even stand anymore, to where he was on stools performing and then kind of just crashed and burned to where he couldn't perform at all. So alls we said was, 'Just go get well, work on your addiction.' And I tried to help him the best I can, because that's all I do is work with alcoholics and addicts, practically on a daily basis. He had a little bit tougher time, and that happens. Some people have a little tougher time getting away from their drug of choice, and he was one of those people. So it was never a personal thing, and that's where I think the fans were confused. They think that we had some kind of personal falling out, but that wasn't the case. We still loved each other. It's just that he wasn't able to get well. So instead of getting well, he went and found another band to play with and wanted to take our name and make that be GREAT WHITE. I couldn't have that. That wouldn't be fair. So, we ended up doing lawsuits and all that kind of stuff, so then it became kind of a pain in the butt."

Asked if he had any kind of relationship with Jack after he left GREAT WHITE, Mark said: "Well, at the end of the lawsuit, we made an agreement that he could [play with his own band under the name] JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE, just so he can earn a living, and we shook hands. And I've never talked bad about him in the press. We talked about each other a lot. I don't think there was any bashing. But as far as hanging out, we're both busy people, so we weren't having dinner or anything. But I never had anything against him. We started this thing together. We were brothers. It was a full-blown brotherhood. Our families were connected. This was more than the music. We were all one big family."

Kendall originally paid tribute to Russell during GREAT WHITE's August 16, 2024 concert at The Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater in Decatur, Illinois. Kendall addressed the crowd, saying: "I'm sure you've heard that our brother Jack Russell passed away. He was the greatest singer ever and we're grateful for everything he contributed to GREAT WHITE. And I know he's up in heaven and he's jamming right now with his band. So, we love Jack and tonight we'd like you to love him too."

When Russell's death was first announced on August 15, 2024, GREAT WHITE released the following statement via social media: "Our deepest condolences to the family of Jack Russell. We hope they take comfort in knowing Jack's incredible voice will live on forever. His love for the fans and his sons went unmatched, as was his own love for rock music.

"What do you say about someone that was there by your side on such an amazing journey, the good and the bad? We prefer to let the music fill in the blanks. All those wonderful years together will be held close to our hearts. It was a privilege and joy to share the stage with him — many shows, many miles, and maximum rock. In the studio, Jack was amazing. He always came ready to work. And work hard, he did. Jack stayed until he got the best performance for each song. He brought the same excellence to every show. The consistency of his live performances were always beyond comparison.

"Rest in peace to one of rock's biggest champions."

In July 2024, Kendall reflected on Russell's departure from GREAT WHITE in an interview with Brazil's Alma Hard. "It was awful," Mark said. "We basically just said we wanted him to get well and be better, because he wasn't able to perform up to his potential because of addiction. And I myself have been sober for almost 16 years and I work with a lot of people that suffer and are struggling. I only work with people who need help. But some people, it's harder than others; the addiction just overwhelms them and they really have a hard time stopping. And I never take anyone's addiction personal."

Mark continued: "Jack Russell has never done anything to hurt me. He just had an addiction. He's still a brother. It's unfortunate because he's such a talent. He had one of the best rock voices ever. He could sing anything — beautiful ballads, anything hard, heavy-hitting. He had the range, good-quality voice — just the greatest ever. So it was a little tough because we made a band together, just me and him. When he first met me, he auditioned for my band and then he said, 'Why don't you and me get away from this deal and go make our own thing?' And so the brotherhood was just amazing from the get-go. And we created everything from nothing, just him and I, getting this bass player and that drummer and just plugging away and making music. So you hate for something to happen to where someone can't perform to their potential anymore. It's unfortunate. But we're just moving down the road. We, of course, wish him the best. I know he's really in a bad spot. So you've just gotta pray for people."

Russell was performing with his version of GREAT WHITE when a pyrotechnics display sparked a nightclub fire that killed 100 people at a 2003 concert in Rhode Island. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Mark Kendall, who founded GREAT WHITE with Russell in 1982, later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. Guitarist Ty Longley died in the blaze.

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell later performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others continued as GREAT WHITE.

In October 2022, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joined the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24, 2022 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Russell's autobiography, titled "The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative", was released in 2024 via Gatekeeper Press. Penned by author Katelyn Louise "K.L." Doty, it features a sentimental foreword by Lita Ford, with additional commentary from Eric Singer, Eddie Trunk, John Kalodner, Kip Winger and others. The book, with a cover photo by legendary rock photographer Mark Weiss, is available in paperback, hardcover and e-book form.

Kendall's band DANTE FOX had two singers before settling with Jack Russell. The band's 1982 performance at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood caught the eye of record executive Alan Niven. Niven suggested the band change it's name to reflect upon the striking color of Kendall's blonde hair — GREAT WHITE.

This past summer, Kendall announced that he had signed a book deal with Diversion Books for his forthcoming memoir, "Soul Of A Man: My Life In Great White, From The Stage And Beyond", with publication scheduled for fall 2027. The deal was negotiated by Jeffrey Mangus, founder and principal literary agent of Mangus Literary Group (MLG). Represented by Mangus, Kendall will share the deeply personal story behind the music and the man the world has known for over four decades.