Great White

Great White is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the late 1970s.

Great White is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the late 1970s. The band achieved commercial success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its cover of "Once Bitten, Twice Shy". The band is also associated with the 2003 Station nightclub fire that occurred during a performance by a Jack Russell-led touring version. Great White was part of the North American hard rock scene and received international rock-radio and MTV exposure that included Canadian audiences.

History

Great White emerged in the Los Angeles hard rock scene in the late 1970s and released its debut material in the early 1980s. The band reached mainstream popularity in the late 1980s, then experienced lineup changes, a breakup, and later reunions or parallel incarnations.

Commercial peak

The band’s most successful period came with albums such as ...Twice Shy, which included the hit cover "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." During this period, Great White received significant MTV and radio exposure and sold millions of albums worldwide.

Station nightclub fire

In 2003, a performance by Jack Russell's Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island was followed by a fire that killed 100 people, including guitarist Ty Longley. The tragedy became one of the most widely discussed events in the band’s history.

Later activity

After periods of dissolution and reorganization, Great White continued in various forms with changing personnel. Different members have at times fronted separate versions of the band name, including Jack Russell-associated projects and the main Great White lineup.