Jack Russell attended military school with high hopes of becoming an archaeologist, but the gift of The Beatles' Help! on vinyl changed the course of his future. With the record dizzily spinning, Russell recalls: "Music filled the room... I had a vision, an extraordinary rush of feeling. I knew exactly what was to become of me... I knew who I was going to be." Russell joined his first band at the age of eleven, not long after finding love for drugs. After continually bumping heads with school and the law, he moved to Los Angeles, where the focus shifted from rebellious suburban antics to unruly nights on the Sunset Strip. After years of gigging in Hollywood came the birth of Great White and the break of a lifetime. Russell and the gang signed with Capitol and quickly saw Platinum success, moving on to tour with Poison, Dokken, Judas Priest, and others. But the road was an invitation for continued substance abuse, relationship problems, and trouble in the limelight.
Jack Russell's story is incomplete without a candid retelling of his experience during the three-year trial linked to the Station Nightclub Fire in 2003. Catching most of the blame for the improper use of pyrotechnics displayed at the band's Rhode Island show in February of that year, Russell, by default, became the face of a tragedy that claimed the lives of 100 people in just 60 seconds.
From drug abuse and jail time to a record deal and MTV fame, The True Tale of Mista Bone is the long-awaited autobiography of a man with something to say. Penned by author and journalist Kate Catalina, fans of Jack Russell and Great White will be given a thorough look into the dream, rise, success, fall, and return of one of rock's most powerful voices.
Backed by commentary from major industry names such as John Kalodner, Kip Winger, KISS's Eric Singer, and others, Russell's story is one of colossal heartache, healing, and redemption.
