Former Great White singer Jack Russell says the Station nightclub fire, which took place 10 years ago yesterday, left him shattered and intense substance abuse.
The fire started in the West Warwick, RI club when Great White’s pyro display ignited the sound insulation and which burned quickly, killed 100 people including guitarist Ty Longley, and injured over 200 other patrons. Russell played a benefit show on February 7, which raised funds for a charity run by Longley's son.
Russell told the Boston Globe, "It's been almost 10 years and no matter what I say it's never going to make anybody feel any better about it, and sometimes it might make them feel worse, so I really would rather not say too much. After the Station I was really down, was taking anything I could take. I would just sit for hours and cry."
It was the 4th deadliest nightclub fire in US history.
That sucks, man - I kinda have a bit of guilt about it, as I have gone to TONS of club shows in my life and have managed to make it home safe each time. Also, back in my glam days my bandmates and I would jury-rig all sorts of pyro. We didn't know what the hell we were doing, and it was beyond dangerous.
Thank God the only thing we managed to do was burn off our own eyebrows every now and again.
God bless the victims and their families
