Jani Lane. February 1, 1964 – August 11, 2011. Rest in Peace.
Blabbermouth is reporting that former Warrant vocalist, Jani Lane was found dead in his LA hotel room. Lane was only 47. No details on the cause of death have been released at this time.
Moment of honesty, here. I saw Warrant once. And I liked it. I played the absolute shit out of Warrant’s 1989 debut, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich. I even liked a song off of DRFSR’s follow-up record, Cherry Pie (Uncle Tom’s Cabin). Guilty.
Through the years, I always felt a twinge of sadness when a new mug-shot popped up. Lane’s appearances on Celebrity Rehab and Celebrity Fit Club, made me feel even worse. Mostly due to how drastically different he looked on both shows, even though he was still on the young-ish side of life. And because, in both cases, it appeared that he really wanted to change.
The news of Lane’s untimely passing tonight, alone in a hotel in Woodland Hills, adds an even thicker layer of sadness to the up’s and downs of Lane’s life. Especially over the last decade.
Rest in peace Jani. You made me get over my fear of white leather (I blame my white, fringed, 1989 cowboy boots on you). I strove to cultivate your big hair, even though it made my real hair fall out. Anyway, one thing is for sure. Heaven really isn’t too far away now. And I hear they serve cherry pie on Thursday. Sadness…
Full story as it stands now, via Blabbermouth.
8/12 Update: It’s now being reported that a 1/2 empty bottle of vodka, and a bottle of prescription pills were found in Lane’s hotel room. Cause of death is preliminary being called “accidental overdose” or possibly, “death from natural causes.” So, so, sad.
