History of Great White in Timeline
Great White, formed in Los Angeles in 1977, is an American rock band that gained significant popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s. Their albums "Once Bitten" (1987) and "...Twice Shy" (1989) went platinum, with hit singles like "Rock Me" and "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" receiving extensive airplay. They achieved two Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 singles with "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and "The Angel Song." The band's name originates from both the shark species and former stage name of member Mark Kendall. They continued to produce new music into the 1990s.
1977: Formation of Great White
The hard rock band, Great White, was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977.
1977: Jack Russell and Mark Kendall Meet
Vocalist Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall crossed paths in 1977, with Kendall inviting Russell to join his band, marking the beginning of their musical journey.
1979: Band Formation and Russell's Incarceration
After performing under various names, including Highway, Livewire, and Wires, Jack Russell and Mark Kendall formed Dante Fox. However, Russell's imprisonment for a robbery attempt led to the band's temporary dissolution. Kendall continued to assemble a new lineup, auditioning singers and recruiting bassist Don Costa and drummer Tony Richards.
1982: Name Change to Great White and EP Release
Mark Kendall's stage nickname inspired the band's new name, Great White. They released their debut EP, "Out of the Night," with the support of manager Alan Niven and gained significant radio play in Los Angeles.
1983: Collaboration with Wagener
Great White previously worked with producer Michael Wagener on their 1983 EP "Out of the Night".
1983: Signing with EMI America and Debut Album
Great White's growing popularity led to a signing with EMI America in late 1983. They released their self-titled debut album in early 1984 and embarked on major tours supporting Whitesnake, Judas Priest, and Kiss.
December 27, 1984: Holland's Departure and Desbrow's Arrival
Great White dismissed drummer Gary Holland on December 27, 1984, and replaced him with Audie Desbrow.
1984: Debut Album with Wagener
Great White's self-titled debut album, produced by Michael Wagener, was released in 1984.
1987: Mainstream Success and Lineup Change
Great White broke into the mainstream with the release of "Once Bitten." Bassist Lorne Black departed and was replaced by Tony Montana (Tony Cardenas).
1987: Release of "Once Bitten"
Great White released their third album, "Once Bitten," in 1987, featuring hits like "Rock Me," "Save Your Love," and "Lady Red Light."
1987: Celebrating "Once Bitten"
Jack Russell's Great White celebrated the 30th anniversary of their album "Once Bitten" with a tour and an acoustic album.
April 1988: "Once Bitten" Certified Platinum
Great White's album "Once Bitten" reached platinum status in April 1988, solidifying their presence in the hard rock scene.
July 1989: "...Twice Shy" Achieves Platinum Success and Grammy Nomination
Great White's album "...Twice Shy" was certified platinum in July 1989 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.
1989: Release of "...Twice Shy" and Chart-Topping Success
Great White achieved mainstream success in 1989 with their album "...Twice Shy," which featured their biggest hit, a cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." The album went double platinum.
January 1990: Performance at American Music Awards
In January 1990, Great White performed their song "House of Broken Love" at the American Music Awards.
1990: Collaboration with Guns N' Roses and Charitable Performance
Great White appeared in the heavy metal video series "Hard 'N' Heavy." Footage included a performance with Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses at a Children of the Night Benefit concert in Los Angeles.
1993: Release of "The Best of Great White: 1986–1992"
In 1993, Capitol Records released a compilation album titled "The Best of Great White: 1986–1992", marking the end of the band's time with the label.
1999: Release of "Can't Get There from Here" and Tour
Great White released their album "Can't Get There from Here" in 1999 and went on tour with Ratt, Poison, and L.A. Guns.
January 20, 2000: Mark Kendall Announces Hiatus
Mark Kendall announced his hiatus from Great White on January 20, 2000. Following his announcement, band members Audie Desbrow and Sean McNabb also departed the band.
November 5, 2001: Jack Russell Announces End of Great White
On November 5, 2001, Jack Russell announced that Great White would be disbanding after a final tour, citing the passing of his father.
2001: Great White Disbands
Great White disbanded in 2001.
December 31, 2001: Great White's Farewell Show
Great White played their farewell show on December 31, 2001, at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana, California.
2002: Jack Russell and Mark Kendall Reunite for Tour
In late 2002, Jack Russell reached out to Mark Kendall to play some shows together, billed as "Jack Russell's Great White", performing songs from the Great White catalog and some of Russell's solo work.
February 20, 2003: The Station Nightclub Fire
On February 20, 2003, a fire broke out at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island during a Great White performance. The fire, caused by pyrotechnics igniting flammable soundproofing material, resulted in the death of 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley, and left approximately 115 survivors with severe burns and injuries.
2003: "Jack Russell's Great White" Extends Tour
Due to the success of their reunion, Jack Russell and Mark Kendall extend their tour into the early months of 2003.
2003: Rhode Island Nightclub Fire Tragedy
In 2003, a fire caused by pyrotechnics at a Jack Russell's Great White show in Rhode Island resulted in the tragic deaths of 100 people, including band member Ty Longley.
2004: Reunion Talks Begin
In a 2004 interview, Jack Russell mentioned the possibility of a Great White reunion, expressing interest in reuniting with some members but ruling out a reunion with former drummer Audie Desbrow.
2005: Tour Cancellation and Jack Russell's Rehabilitation
In 2005, citing "medical reasons", the band canceled the latter half of their summer tour. The "medical reasons" were later revealed to be related to Russell's struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction, leading him to enter rehabilitation.
2006: Jack Russell's Recovery and Reflection
Jack Russell dedicated 2006 to getting sober and underwent a facelift. During this time, he reflected on the previous iteration of Great White, referring to it as "Fake White".
2006: Reformation of Great White
Jack Russell's Great White reverted to its original name, Great White, in 2006.
2006: Great White Officially Reunites
Mark Kendall officially announced the reunion of Great White in 2006.
January 27, 2007: First Reunion Performance
The reunited lineup, consisting of Russell, Kendall, Lardie, McNabb, and Desbrow, played their first show together in over five years on January 27, 2007, at the Keyclub in Hollywood.
2007: Jack Russell Returns to Performing
After completing his rehabilitation, Jack Russell returned to performing in 2007.
August 2008: Eight Million Records Sold Worldwide
By August 2008, Great White estimated sales of approximately eight million records worldwide.
2008: Settlement Reached with Victims' Families
In 2008, Jack Russell Touring INC. agreed to pay $1 million to the survivors and victims' families of The Station nightclub fire, while admitting no wrongdoing.
2008: Sean McNabb Leaves Great White
In 2008, bassist Sean McNabb left Great White to focus on his acting career. He was replaced by Scott Snyder.
March 13, 2009: Rising Album Release
Great White released their album "Rising" in Europe on March 13, 2009.
2010: Guest Vocalists Fill in for Jack Russell
Several vocalists, including Jani Lane and Terry Ilous, filled in for Jack Russell while he recovered from surgery in 2010.
August 2011: Great White Awaits Russell's Return
In August 2011, Great White expressed their support for Jack Russell's recovery and anticipated his return to the band.
December 2011: Russell Forms Jack Russell's Great White
In December 2011, Jack Russell formed his own version of Great White, leading to a legal dispute over the band's name.
2011: Jack Russell's Departure
After over three decades, vocalist Jack Russell left Great White in 2011 to form Jack Russell's Great White.
February 2012: Russell's Target Return Date
Jack Russell set a target date of February 2012 to rejoin Great White, but was unable to due to his health.
March 18, 2012: New Album and Live Releases Announced
Great White announced their new album "Elation", a live album, and a concert DVD to be released in 2012.
July 2013: Tony Montana Rejoins Russell's Band
Bassist Tony Montana rejoined a Great White lineup after 20 years, joining Jack Russell's Great White.
September 2013: Legal Agreement Reached
In September 2013, a legal agreement allowed Jack Russell to use the name "Jack Russell's Great White" while the other members continued as Great White with Terry Ilous.
September 27, 2013: Lorne Black Passes Away
Lorne Black, Great White's original bassist, passed away on September 27, 2013, at the age of 50.
December 19, 2014: "Hard Habit" Single Released
Jack Russell's Great White released the single "Hard Habit" on December 19, 2014.
November 2015: Plans for New Album
Michael Lardie mentioned in an interview that Great White was planning to start working on a new album.
July 19, 2016: Signing with Frontiers Music
Jack Russell's Great White signed with Frontiers Music on July 19, 2016.
October 2016: Great White to Record with Michael Wagener
It was announced that Great White would be recording their new album with Michael Wagener, known for his work on their early albums.
November 30, 2016: "Blame It On The Night" Release
The single "Blame It On The Night" was released by Jack Russell's Great White on November 30, 2016.
December 14, 2016: "She Moves Me" Release
Jack Russell's Great White released the single "She Moves Me" on December 14, 2016.
January 2, 2017: Recording of "Full Circle" Begins
Great White began recording their new album "Full Circle" with producer Michael Wagener on January 2, 2017.
January 5, 2017: "Love Don't Live Here" Premieres
Jack Russell's Great White premiered their single "Love Don't Live Here" on January 5, 2017.
January 18, 2017: "Sign of the Times" Music Video Release
The music video for "Sign of the Times" by Jack Russell's Great White was released on January 18, 2017.
January 27, 2017: "He Saw It Comin'" Album Release
Jack Russell's Great White released their debut album "He Saw It Comin'" on January 27, 2017.
February 2017: Rockingham Festival Appearance
Great White was scheduled to perform at Rockingham Festival 2017 in Nottingham, UK.
June 2, 2017: "Full Circle" Released
Great White's album "Full Circle", their last with Terry Ilous, was released on June 2, 2017.
July 9, 2018: Great White Parts Ways with Terry Ilous
Great White announced the departure of singer Terry Ilous and the arrival of Mitch Malloy on July 9, 2018.
2018: Mitch Malloy Replaces Ilous
Mitch Malloy replaced Terry Ilous as Great White's lead vocalist in 2018.
2018: Terry Ilous Replaced by Mitch Malloy
Mitch Malloy replaced Terry Ilous as the vocalist for Great White in 2018.
July 9, 2020: Controversial Concert During Pandemic
Great White faced criticism for performing a concert during the COVID-19 pandemic without safety measures in place on July 9, 2020.
July 14, 2020: "Once Acoustically Bitten" Release
Jack Russell's Great White released the acoustic album "Once Acoustically Bitten" on July 14, 2020.
May 31, 2022: Great White Announces New Vocalist and Tour
On May 31, 2022, Great White announced the replacement of vocalist Mitch Malloy with Andrew Freeman from Last in Line. The band then embarked on a major tour with Freeman, marking their first with the new lineup. There were also plans to work on new music.
2022: New Vocalists Join Great White
Mitch Malloy left Great White and was replaced by Andrew Freeman, who was later followed by Brett Carlisle in 2022.
July 17, 2024: Jack Russell Announces Retirement and Passes Away
On July 17, 2024, Jack Russell announced his retirement from touring due to a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia and Multiple system atrophy received in May 2024. Sadly, he passed away almost a month later at the age of 63.