By Jeb Wright
Jack Russell has been back and forth between heaven and hell as
many times as he has crisscrossed the nation in the band Great
White. From the tragedy of the Station fire to debilitating drug
problems to internal squabbles with his band mates, Jack has
never had an easy time of it. In the band's most popular era,
Jack was a bit of a prima donna, a self-centered party animal
who was living large with money, girls and MTV fame. Now, a
decade or two down the road, and many worn miles on the man's
face, and it is a different Jack Russell that greets fans, loves
his band mates and is willing to sacrifice fame for the
opportunity to simply make good music. Russell still wears his
soul on his sleeve and tells anyone who wants to know about his
pains and passions in his lyrics. He knows no other way.
In this interview, we discuss Great White's new album Rising, as
well as what it took to get Great White back together, making
music once again. We also talk about how Jack must never forget
the tragedy in Rhode Island but can't allow himself to relive it
ad infinitum. Jack is very open about the pain he from the loss
of a ten-year relationship, and how he is not comfortable
getting older. At the end of the day, this is not so much an
interview as it is a conversation where Jack explains the
triumphs and tragedies of his life. His humanity is well intact
and he seems grounded in reality, even though he may be closer
to that next fix, pill or drink than he would care to admit.
Only time will tell if Great White and Jack Russell can fight
their way back and take their place as one of the best of the
80's hard rock bands. If Russell keeps it together, takes care
of his voice and his health, and the band continue to place
music over personalities, then they have a chance at longevity.
If Rising is any indication, the band is moving forward and
continuing to write solid songs that will keep them at least on
the corn dog circuit, if not more, for years to come.
Jeb: Rising is the name of the new album. All original
members are intact, sans the bass player. Let's talk about a
couple of the songs. First, I really like "Situation" because it
has a real 70's rock feel to it.
Jack: "Situation" was a really weird song for me. The band comes
up with the music and I write the lyrics. Michael Lardie
presented me the song and he had the chorus already written. I
heard it, and I just wrote the verses around it. The chorus just
screams 'Jack Russell' and where I am at. I want my music to be
exactly where I am, at that moment. It has to be where Jack
Russell is at that very moment in time whether it is good, bad
or ugly. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I am not embarrassed
about my life. I feel badly about some of things I have done in
my life but I am not embarrassed by it. I have hurt people.
People say that I am a drug addict and that I did this or I did
that. Yeah, I did do those things. It is part of my life. If you
want me to feel bad about it, then too bad. I am who I am. I am
a culmination of everything I have done.
Jeb: The lyrics to "Is It Enough" are very personal.
Jack: All of the love songs are for my ex-old lady. We just
recently split up. The lyrics are trying to say, "Please take me
back. I'm not that bad. We can work this thing out." That is
where I was at when I wrote them. Now that we are not together,
I have some bad days. Nobody wants to be 48 years old and alone.
After a ten-year relationship, I find myself single. My life
isn't that bad. I don't need a woman in my life to validate who
I am. I know who I am as a person. I am not just Jack Russell,
the singer for Great White; I am Jack Russell, human being. I am
not a bad person. Some people may disagree with me but I am a
pretty decent guy. I would give you the shirt off my back. I
love my fans. I love the ability to make something out of
nothing; I just love music.
Jeb: Does it suck to sing these new love songs live?
Jack: Right now, it is hard. I sing "Save Your Love" and I am
balling my eyes out because I miss my old lady. But, it is a
song and you have to rise above that. When I connect with those
inner emotions then I know I am being honest. It is very
cathartic.
Jeb: The guys who came out in the 80's are supposed to be
about sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. You are sounding like an
artist.
Jack: [laughter] You know, I love what I do. I love the artistic
side of it. I love creating something out of nothing. It is the
closest I can get to being God. I think we all have the ability
to do that. Whether we take the opportunity to do that is up to
ourselves. Music is one of those things that transcend all
boundaries. It transcends all languages. I have sat and watched
an Italian opera and had no idea what the guy was singing about
but I was crying because it was heartbreaking. If you asked me
what he was saying, I would answer, "I don't have any idea but I
know." When I die, I want people to listen to my music and say,
"Man, he wrote some songs that really touched my heart." When
people tell me that "Save Your Love" was their wedding song---to
include me on the biggest day of their lives---a song that took
me five minutes to write---how lucky is that? You couldn't ask
for anything better.
Jeb: Both of the last two albums are good. I will be honest,
I got it in the mail and I thought, "Is this going to be any
good?" I listened to it and said, "Yeah, it's good." Rising has
great songs but it doesn't really rock your balls off.
Jack: It is a really eclectic record. I didn't go in saying, "We
need six rockers and two ballads and a couple in-between." That
is too contrived. We write music till we have 11 great songs
and, hopefully, they fit together. We just want to make a great
album. I have never sat down and decided that the next song I
write will be about this or that. The music will always tell me
what the song is to be about. One of the amazing abilities of
this band is that we are like an old married couple that
finishes each other's sentences. I can't play guitar to save my
life but I can call Michael Lardie on the phone and make some
sounds and he can come up with the right chord. It makes it so
much more fun.
Jeb: Where is Great White in the scheme of things considering
bringing the band back to where it once was?
Jack: It is going as I planned. It is like riding a bike. We
have twenty some years of history so it is like we just ran into
each other and said, "Let's do an album." "Okay, see you next
week." There is just so much history that it makes it really
simple.
Jeb: Are you just talking performing?
Jack: On no, I am talking studio work and writing songs as well.
We finished the new album in a month. It was amazing how fast it
went. We didn't sacrifice any quality. I think this is more of a
band collaborative effort than anything we have done before. We
had no outside influences. It was just the band just doing what
the band does. We really were able to do what we wanted to do
and sound how we wanted to sound. Each album is really a
snapshot of the band and where we were at the time, me, more so
than anyone else, because I do the lyrics. You can look at any
album and read the lyrics and say, "This is where Jack was at."
Jeb: Where is Jack?
Jack: Right now? He is in the middle of everything. I am 48
years old and I still don't know if I want to be single or
married; sober or alcoholic, there are a lot of balls in the air
right now. I want to be 25 but I know that is not realistic. I
have to make some changes in my life and, unfortunately, they
are not always fun. I don't want to be 48. I don't want to wake
up and feel like my fucking hair hurts. I feel 25, emotionally,
but physically I wake up and go, "Ow!" I have a really bad
herniated disc in my back. I am limping around the house and
wincing. I go in Thursday for a procedure that should clear it
up. If not, I will have to go the surgery route. For now, the
show must go on, babe. Put some chicken wire around me and I am
ready to go.
Jeb: You can see there are a lot of emotions. You have a song
called "Loveless" and you have a song called "My Sanctuary." You
can't get two more different viewpoints on a relationship.
Jack: I just went through a ten-year relationship. My lyrics are
very honest. If you look at songs like "Situation" and "Danger
Zone" then you can see where I got put in a situation where I
burned out a ten-year relationship.
Jeb: So what do you do next?
Jack: I have to pick myself up and go on. I don't really have
much of a choice. I have always hated heartbreak but it makes
for a really great album. No one wants to hear that the sun is
shining and the birds are chirping and everything is wonderful.
That is not realistic. People want to hear how you got your
heart torn out because that happened to them too. It is pretty
much what I end up singing about because that is usually where I
seem to be at when it comes time to make a record.
Jeb: People relate to that.
Jack: My lyrics are honest to the point of where I wonder if I
want to be that honest. I wonder if I really want people to know
this much about my personal life. I figure, why not. People go
through the same crap that I go through. We all pay the same
price for a Big Mac. Just because I am a musician does not mean
that I hurt any deeper.
Jeb: "All of Nothing" is another side to you.
Jack: There is a weird dichotomy in my life. I have this split
personality thing where I revel in the rebelliousness of who I
am and then I meet a woman who loves that part of me. She is
thinking, "Oh, he would be perfect if he could just change this
and that." After they castrate me, I am boring to them. I go,
"Wait a minute . . . if you had not cut my nuts off then we
might still be having some fun." It is the history of being Jack
Russell. It happens over and over again. I may just have to end
being a permanent bachelor.
Jeb: Is the breakup hard on you? Are you still sober?
Jack: For me, I don't go off the deep end until things are
great. I have a self-destruct button. I much prefer my life
sober and clean but sometimes you find yourself back where you
were and you deal with it and get clean and sober again. You
have to deal with the wreckage of your past and go for it again.
Jeb: There might be that time you don't get the chance to get
clean and sober again.
Jack: You're right. But who is to say? I never go out and plan
to go on a bender. My life can be going great and then I just do
something I shouldn't be doing. I try to live my life day-to-day
and not think too much. I try to do the best I can and do the
best for my family.
Jeb: Are you in a funky place?
Jack: No, I am in a really good place. The band is back and
we have a really great record coming out. I am glad that we are
touring again. I have a few physical issues that are making me
uncomfortable but other than that I am clean and sober and I am
doing what I am supposed to do. Life is okay right now. Being
single again at 48? If that is what the world wants then maybe
there is something better out there for me.
Jeb: Some of your contemporaries are churning out albums because
they have found someone will pay them for another record. Great
White is not doing that. Each of your last two albums has been
really good start to finish.
Jack: There are people who churn it out like it is coming out of
a factory. To me, it is about quality over quantity. The bottom
line is that we have to like our music. I don't want to be one
of those guys who, at the end of the day, puts on his CD and
says, "That really sucks." Who cares if the whole world likes it
if I don't like it? If I like it, then I don't care if the whole
world likes it or not. It is not about money; it is about making
good music.
Jeb: Is it tough when you think back and millions heard "Save
Your Love" and "Down On the Level," from Rising, will not be
heard by millions?
Jack: Most bands do their best work after their heyday is over.
It is frustrating. You do this longer and you get better and
consequently you write better songs. The problem is that the
music is no longer in vogue and no one is concentrating on that
kind of music, other than the hardcore fans. I have written more
hit songs in the few years than I wrote back in the day. Even
back then, some songs I wrote knowing it would be a hit and then
they wouldn't be hits. Other songs I never thought would be a
hit and they became a huge hit. There is lot to be said for luck
and timing. There is no set formula. I write songs for myself
and if someone else likes it then great. If not, then find
another band to like. We try to be as honest as we can. It is
not like I am writing about knights, kings and dragons. I am
writing about my life.
Jeb: I never thought we would see a real Great White tour
again.
Jack: This band has been counted out more times than Muhammad
Ali. When the world is all over there will be Great White and
the cockroaches. We have a great synergy between band members
that allows us to stand up to the test of time. There are a lot
of bands that hate each other, and we have had our moments, but
for the most part, our personalities are so different that we
compliment each other. You can't have a band with five Type A
personalities; it never works. I don't care what anybody says, a
band can't be a democracy. You can vote on shit but you can't
have five guys all say what color the t-shirt is going to be.
One person has to stand up and say, "The t-shirt is going to be
black." If one person doesn't do that then you will never get a
t-shirt out. I am the one in the band that holds the reigns to a
lot of things. The others trust me to make a good decision.
Michael Lardie has been an important person in a lot of this as
well. As we get older, it becomes more and more a collaborative
effort. Everyone has more of a say in things and it makes it
easier but you still have to be able to have someone take
charge. If not, then you end up having meetings and conference
calls and nothing gets done.
Jeb: A good example is that you used to say that you would
never play with your drummer again but he is in the band.
Jack: There were a lot of misunderstandings; a lot of things
were said. You look back over 32 years of history and you think
that you need to get over yourself. You have to decide which is
more important; something somebody said or the history you have
together. It is like a marriage, you have the good, the bad and
the ugly. The band, to me, is being closer than brothers. I have
spent a lot more times with my band members than I have with any
of my wives.
Jeb: Did you have to change more than the other guys?
Jack: I am the same person I have always been. I have changed
over the years. I have mellowed out and I am not nearly as
demanding as I used to be. I am not as much of a prima donna as
I used to be, either. With age comes wisdom. I have gained some
wisdom over the years. I am not Socrates but I know a little bit
about a little bit. As I get older, I appreciate things a lot
more. I know that being able to make music together 28 years
later is a real blessing. I thank God for this every day.
Jeb: When Great White first reformed, at what point did you
know that it was going to work out?
Jack: I knew it would work out before we even did the first
album after getting back together. When I called people on the
phone and asked them if they wanted to do a new album they
quickly said, "Okay." It was really like riding a bike. We got
together and apologized to each other for a few things that were
said and that was it. We didn't hold grudges against each other.
We love each other and we are great friends.
Jeb: Did it bother you that Great White was lumped into the
Hair Spray category?
Jack: Everyone had long hair so we were part of that crowd.
Led Zeppelin had long hair so I guess they are a hair band too.
The videos we did didn't help either. I have always said that
videos were the biggest curse to rock 'n' roll. MTV was great
for a while but it was no accident that the first video they
played was "Video Killed the Radio Star." They took this huge,
bombastic live thing and shrunk it down to a nineteen-inch
television screen. That is not exciting. If you want exciting
then go to a show. The fact was that at the end of the 80's and
90's our fans were raising families and were not able to get out
to see shows. Now that the kids are out of the house, they want
to get back out there and relive some nostalgia. They want to be
back in high school again. Consequently, our fan base has three
generations in it. I see kids that are eight years old, with
Great White t-shirts on, that are hanging down to their socks,
singing along with every word to our songs. How do they even
know our songs? It amazes me.
Jeb: Do you think Great White is finally past the stigma of
being the band that had the fire?
Jack: I hear less and less about it. It is hardly ever
mentioned, where the first few years it is all we heard about.
Some journalists bring it up, but as a rule, it is not even
brought up. Life goes on and, unfortunately, people have short
memories. I will never forget what happened. Good things happen
to bad people and bad things happen to good people. You never
know what curve balls the universe is going to throw at you. You
have just got to deal with it.
Jeb: You have had to live through situations that most of
cannot even imagine. I am talking about the tragedy, the court
cases and the money involved. You are also in the public eye. It
is a miracle that you have been able to hold it together.
Jack: I thank God for that, I really do. I am still here and I
may not know the reason for it but I am not going to question
it. My life has been an amazing adventure. I would like to
rewind a few things and make it so they never happened but that
is not reality. You take what you are given and you play the
cards you are dealt. All of my life experience has made me the
person I am. I am very proud of the person I am today. I try to
be a good person and I try not to screw people around. I am a
lot less self-centered than I used to be. I have never thought
of myself being a rock star, per say. I think I am just lucky
enough to be able to still go out there and sing my song. For
the most parts, the pipes are still there. Who knows how long
they are going to last. I thank God for that every day.
Jeb: If you do an interview and you don't mention how sorry you
are about the Station fire then certain people are going to go,
"Look at him. He is not even sorry about it. He does not even
bring it up." How do you deal with that?
Jack: I don't. I have said how bad we felt. I am not going to
keep living that night over and over again. That is not healthy
for me or for anybody else. We are six years down the road.
Everyone knows we feel bad about it. I am not going to go out on
stage and keep going on about it every night. Let's just
celebrate life now. We have gotten past it, as much as we are
ever going to get past it. We need to move on. Life happens and
there is nothing you can do about it. I don't want to sound
callus, because I don't mean to be, but I can't keep living that
night again, over and over, because I will be in an insane
asylum.
Jeb: Jumping way back in the past, I have heard that Great
White's first gig was at the legendary Troubadour.
Jack: We played a lot of shows down in Hollywood. We played
there numerous times. We played at The Whiskey too. We didn't
play at a lot of clubs and we didn't play very often. We played
when we could. We didn't want to play every single night just to
play. We wanted to cherry pick and pick and choose. We thought
the band was worth that.
Jeb: Most guys back then were throwing up the fliers and trying
to get the stage time.
Jack: Don't get me wrong, we did that. I remember looking back
over my shoulder and seeing Nikki Sixx putting his fliers over
mine. We would then walk back behind Nikki and put our fliers
over his. It was really a Three Stooges type of thing. The first
one to run out of fliers lost. Great White had the balls and the
foresight to put our own record out. We were the first band that
was not on a major label to get a song in heavy rotation at a
major radio station. People were requesting our song. That is
not bad at all, we are really proud of that.
Jeb: Changing the name from Dante Fox to Great White was a good
move.
Jack: Dante Fox didn't fit the spirit of the band; it was just
the name of the band. I am a shark fisherman. I told my guitar
player that I wanted to catch a Great White and he said that
would be a great name for a band, so it became one.
Jeb: What is the biggest shark you have ever caught?
Jack: I got a 750-pound shark. They are amazing. They are
perfect creatures. I only catch what I can eat.
Jeb: Is the rush of reeling one in the same as a really good
gig?
Jack: When I am at home I am either skydiving or scuba diving. I
am doing something to push the envelope because I miss that
stage high. I am an adrenaline junkie. I am a Sagittarius. I
have ten things going on at once at all times. I don't know
whether to scratch my watch or wind my butt half the time.
Jeb: How did you ever make it through a video shoot?
Jack: [laughter] Patience and a lot of Xanax.
Jeb: Do you have hope that you can get Great White anywhere near
where they used to be?
Jack: You are only one song away. Look at Santana, who would
have ever thought that would happen. You could get a song in a
movie and have a whole new career. I never give up; I just keep
writing songs. A few years ago, this band was not even on the
map. We are now playing big festivals and we are getting paid
ten times the money we were being paid five years ago. I am
happy. We are still viable.
Jeb: A while back you were calling the band Fake White.
Jack: It was not a diss but it was like I was in a cover band
with myself. When it came time to do a record, I just didn't
want to do it with a bunch of guys who were never in the band
before. I did a solo album. I wanted to stretch out and do
something different that Great White couldn't do. I didn't want
to take the band down that road because I knew that was not what
they were about. I am getting ready to do another one. Billy
Sherwood and I were just taking the other day about that. Billy
produced the first solo album. I really enjoy working with him.
Jeb: There were a ton of Zeppelin clones back in the day. You
proved you could do Zep with the tribute album but you really
didn't do it within your own songs.
Jack: We did the Zeppelin thing because I knew I could sing it
really close. I have fooled myself before. I walked in the
studio when they were mixing it down and I said, "Is that the
song we are going to be doing today?" They go, "No, dude, that
is you singing." I never tried to emulate Robert Plant. There is
a certain sound to our voices that is similar but I never really
tried to rip Robert Plant off. I never tried to rip Steven Tyler
off either. My voice is what it is and if I sound like somebody
else…there are only 12 notes. Goddamn, someone is going to
sound like someone else.
Jeb: You have a very rye sense of humor.
Jack: [laughter] It is part cynicism, part realism and part I
just don't give a shit.
Jeb: Tell me where the idea to do "Once Bitten Twice Shy"
came from.
Jack: Izzy Stradlin. I had never heard that song before in my
life. He told me there was a song called "Once Bitten, Twice
Shy." He played it for me and I thought it was okay. I never
thought the song would be a hit. But it was good enough to put
on the album. We liked the name of the song with the band being
called 'Great White.' It broke all the rules. It took a million
hours to get to the first chorus. It got released and it became
this unstoppable song. We sold over 800,000 45's, dude. What the
hell? I don't even own one. The only 45 of "Once Bitten, Twice
Shy" I own are made of gold and are on a plaque in my room.
Jeb: Ian Hunter must be a huge Great White fan.
Jack: I read in an interview once where he said, "I am out on
the road and these kids keep asking me why I am playing a Great
White song."
Jeb: Last one: Even though you have a lot of balls in the air,
do not forget about what is important to you. Be true to
yourself.
Jack: This is what I was born to do. The only time I ever really
feel like I am home is when I am on stage. The place where I
feel most like Jack Russell is when I am on stage. Everywhere
else, I feel a little bit uncomfortable in my own skin. When I
am on stage then I know that is where I am supposed to be. If I
could spend my whole life on stage then I would be the most
comfortable guy in the world. I would be like a guy wearing
loafers and sitting on a Lazy Boy.
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