GREAT WHITE Singer Says Nightclub Fire Was 'Total Horror'

GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell recently spoke to Mike Ross of the Edmonton Sun about the group's current tour to promote the Station Family Fund, formed six months after the tragic blaze at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island to assist victims' families and survivors. All profits from a year of GREAT WHITE shows went to the fund, about $100,000, Russell said.

"For me, it's important to give back," Russell said. "Our fans have been coming out to our shows for 20-some years, buying our records and basically enabling me to have a great career in music. Now what can I do to help them out? This is my whole focus. As a matter of fact, it's the only thing that got me back on the road.

"I wouldn't have done it just for myself. How could I enjoy myself again? If not for the support of fans, from the literally tens of thousands of e-mails from around the world expressing how the music has changed people's lives in a positive aspect. I wouldn't have been able to get back on the horse again."

Since there is legal action pending, Russell can't talk about specific details of what happened that night, save to say "it was the most horrific thing I've ever experienced in my life and I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

He added, "It was horror. It was total horror. It was almost surreal. At the beginning, we thought someone would come and put the fire out and we'd continue with our show. I called my wife on the phone after somebody pulled me out and I said, 'Honey, there's been a fire. We might lose our equipment.' Nobody had an inkling it was going to flare up like it did."

As for the question of being held personally responsible for the disaster, Russell repeated what he said on "Larry King Live": "I feel bad because people came to see my show and they got killed and injured, but it's the same as if there was an earthquake. I went over this a million times: Was there anything I could've done in the scope of my job to stop that from happening? And the answer was no. That's the only reason I can sleep at night. I figure God gives you what you can handle. I said, 'God, this about a close as as you're going to get, pal.' "

Read the entire Edmondon Sun article at this location.