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Biography
Great White came together thanks to the musical partnership of singer Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. Initially, Russell asked Kendall to join the band he was fronting at the time, but their creative chemistry proved so potent that they went off together to form their own band. They wrote and rehearsed together until 1979, when Russell botched a robbery he was committing and accidentally shot a live-in maid in the house he had broken into. Quite rightly, he was caught and sentenced to eight years in prison, and Kendall was left to pick up the pieces on his own. He did actually put together a band called Dante Fox, and played some shows around the Orange County area of California with them. However, Russell was released from his prison sentence after 18 months and rejoined Kendall soon afterwards.
The band played their debut show with Russell at Hollywood’s legendary Troubadour venue and after recording some demo tapes, they secured the services of Alan Niven as their manager. Niven’s first act as manager was to change the band’s name to a nickname that Kendall had picked up around the L.A rock scene. Due to his naturally platinum blonde hair, his white Fender Telecaster and his habit of wearing a white jumpsuit with matching shoes on stage, he’d been given the nickname Great White after the band’s first few gigs. The band unanimously agreed on their new name and by 1982, the band were known as Great White.
By the same year, Niven had formed Aegean, his own independent record label, and with his backing the band hit the studio to record their debut E.P “Out Of The Night”. In the end, not only did he put the record out but he also convinced the L.A Radio Station KMET to playlist a couple of songs from the E.P. They ended up playing the songs so regularly that the bands profile shot up within months, and by the end of the year they were headlining and selling out concert halls all over California. By the end of 1983 the band had signed to EMI America and their self-titled debut album was released early the following year.
The band rode out the rest of the decade as the connoisseur’s hair metal band of choice. They opened for everyone from Judas Priest, and Whitesnake to Dokken and had their 1987 album “Once Bitten…” certified platinum in April the following year. Its follow up “…Twice Shy” was an even bigger deal, achieving double platinum status within five months of its release. Ever since then the band have become one of the most fondly remembered acts of the hair metal era. They were always a little more respectable than the likes of Poison and their ilk, willing to rock out in a way that arguably made them pave the way for Guns N’ Roses. To this day both incarnations of the band that still play can blow the roof of any venue they play, and with a back catalogue like theirs, they come highly recommended.
Live reviews
Great White immediately makes me think of a shark, I’d imagine it does that for a lot of people, and that clever name links the band perfectly to their heavy rock and glam metal genre of music. ‘My, my, my, I’m once bitten, twice shy, baby’…probably their most famous track released back in 1989 with the release of their most popular album, is still a well listened to song today.
Although after this album, the bands popularity decreased, they continued to release new material, and their performances still attracted large crowds. I saw them towards the very end of their performance career, and I was apprehensive as to the level of performance I may witness, as it had been quite some years since the releases of their hit tracks. I was however pleasantly surprised. The band didn’t try and of the alternative approaches as you might expect, but stuck to their older and most successful music, and performed a great rendition of everyone’s favourite songs.
Despite their vocals maybe not being quite the same standard as they once were, it was a great show with some of the best hits of their time. Mark Kendall was great at getting the audience on their side straight away, and was immediately hyping the crowd, and encouraging us all to join in. If they were to reform for a tour, I’d definitely go along, really worth seeing the classics performed live.
yazhow
As all American as apple pie, a hard rock institution in their own right, Great White have enjoyed a career that spans four decades. The group's lineup may have changed over the time yet the band has remained loyal to its fanbase and its commitment to perform live. It has been noted that it is up onstage where the musicians truly thrive and there is no chance the group will be disbanding anytime soon as they all seem collectively invested in the mentality of the operation.
The fanbase shows no sign of wavering either as night after night the group packs out venues of fans old and new to see them perform. There is a huge sense of bravado associated with the live show yet it is never arrogant, just five musicians attempting to perform the biggest and best show possible for their audience. With Jack Russell and Mark Kendall once again performing on stage together it is a true celebration of Great White as a whole so expectedly the hits such as 'House of Broken Love' and 'Lady Red Light' get an airing. They save an instrumental heavy version of 'Rock Me' where each member gets a solo before leading brilliantly into 'Once Bitten Twice Shy'.
sean-ward
Great White is the all American hard rock band from LA who has been around for well over thirty years now. They have released many albums and been with a handful of record labels, but the thing that has stayed true to this band is their fans. They have a loyal fan base that always seem to make it out to their every tour and they don’t disappoint.
They open with the high octane and foot stomping “Rock Me” which was a huge hit for this rock outfit in 87, and two decades later this audience are still singing every single word to these songs making a very memorable moment for the band. “House of Broken Love” is the song of the set that invites acoustic guitars to the stage, showing a bit more of a tender side of the band. “Desert Moon” hosts some intense riffage on the guitars which are doused in distortion, the guitar solo bringing the house down, with a huge amount of applause following the performance.
Lannistaar
I was so excited to be able to attend the 2015-2016 new years eve concert with Great White, they truly are one of the best hair bands still to this day, and they know how to wow the audience, I took my best of Great White cd in hopes to get it autographed and I was not disappointed, they truly love there fans and show it, I not only got my cd autographed but got a wink and a at ah girl to ,my husband and me love there music ,there concerts never disappoint, there music is timeless, Great White rock on forever, true fans to the end Diana and Peter Toft
diana-lea-farley-tof
As expected, Slaughter Slauterterd IT! GREAT WHITE, well, were GREAT. AWESEME. Also GREAT venue. Choctaw Entertainment venue is far and away better than Windstar too. Traffic flow in and out, before and after was well oechstrated and efficient so coming & going, with all those people, was fast and not crowded either. I loved that had to go through metal detectors to get into concert.
prodical2
Saw them for the first time since splitting with Jack & have to say that Terry really revitalized the band. Before Terry, they were dead in the water. Ilous brings a fresh, new, energetic vibe that the band had really been lacking in the later Russell years
firenymph
Way awesome!! Got to get right up to the stage. Saw slaughter with great white and got to meet mark slaughter and get pictures and a signature from him as well. Spent the rest of the evening meeting other band members!
natashajohnjones
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