Jack Russell calls accident that killed over 100 fans “the 9/11 of rock n’ roll”
Great White front man Jack Russell is ready to apologize for the 2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people, and he plans to do so in a new documentary.
“I’ve wanted to get out and talk about this, from my perspective, but when all the legal stuff was going down my lawyer said, ‘Don’t ever say you’re sorry, because that’s going to imply guilt,” Russell said of the tragedy in an interview with the Portland, Oregon, radio station 105.9 The Brew last week.
Russell said that the documentary was his chance to apologize for the fire, which he went on to call “the 9/11 of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Also read: Missy Elliott Releases First New Music Video in 7 Years, 'WTF (Where They From)'
In 2003, the band’s pyrotechnics sparked a fire at a concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. One hundred people were killed, including guitarist Ty Longley, and more than 200 people were injured. The band’s tour manager, who set off the display without a permit, and the club owners served time in jail.
“I’m just horrified,” he said. “I feel a guilt. I have this survivor’s guilt, like, why did I get to live when so many other people didn’t? I feel guilty for people coming to see me play and losing their lives. It’s really hard to deal with it.”
Also read: Beatles Drummer Andy White Dead at 85
“It’s gonna be a great — maybe not total closure,” Russell said of the documentary, “but it’ll give me some peace. Even if a little.”
10 Richest Artists in Music: From Madonna to Jay Z (Photos)
These legends don’t just crank out hits, they rake in tons of money, according to MarketWatch’s January list of the world’s highest paid musicians
Madonna's $800 million net worth proves she's the queen of more than just pop, according to MarketWatch.