Great White to Reunite for One Song

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The rock band whose pyrotechnics sparked a deadly night club fire last month plans to perform together for the first time since the blaze to benefit a memorial fund in honor of guitarist Ty Longley, who was among the 99 victims.

Great White will choose one song to play during a charity concert with other performers in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 29, the group's manager, Paul Woolnough, said Friday.

He said the money would go to help Longley's pregnant girlfriend, victim relief funds and students seeking art scholarships.

The Feb. 20 fire started as pyrotechnics shot up during the band's first set at The Station nightclub in West Warwick. Ninety-nine people died and nearly 190 others were injured.

So far, two civil suits have been filed on behalf of three families who lost loved ones in the fire, but others families and survivors have hired lawyers and plan to sue.

A judge on Friday gave attorneys for potential plaintiffs and defendants permission to begin gathering evidence from the burned-out shell of the club starting Wednesday. Attorneys are looking for materials that may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and toxic nature of the fumes.

Investigators for the state have already been through the site as part of a criminal investigation.

Great White had been performing mainly at small venues after reaching the peak of its fame with the 1990 hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy." Other than the benefit concert, Great White has no plans to perform again, Woolnough said.

I'm not touching this one.

;)

Originally posted by TJL
I'm not touching this one.

;)
Come on. I was counting on you. ;)

Originally posted by Janice

Come on. I was counting on you. ;)

Oh, in that case...

Ummmm....

Let's hope the room is well ventilated.

;)

Originally posted by TJL
Oh, in that case...

Ummmm....

Let's hope the room is well ventilated.
;)
Can always count on you. :rotflmao:

Sad that a really good band had to end this way. I still think the club was really the one at fault, but we won't know...

Thinking of their song "House of Broken Love":

You're dealin' with the devil
With no help from above
...In this house of broken love.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, California (April 30) - Two members of the rock band Great White made a tearful return to the stage in their first public appearance since a fire killed 99 people at their concert in Rhode Island.

Guitarist Mark Kendall and lead singer Jack Russell played a somber rendition of the song ``Mother's Eyes'' off of their 1994 album ``Sail Away'' at the Key Club late Tuesday.

The pair expressed sorrow over the loss of their guitarist Ty Longley and the ``98 other Great White family members,'' who were killed in the Feb. 20 blaze at The Station nightclub in West Warick, Rhode Island.

``If this has taught me anything, it's how fragile and precious life really is,'' Russell said, stopping numerous times during the introduction to wipe tears from his eyes.

Earlier, attorney Ed McPherson, who represents the group, said that Great White would perform as part of a nationwide tour with other rock bands and donate their percentage of the profits to existing charities in Rhode Island.

``Their thoughts from the beginning have been, `What are we going to do to help the victims?' And the only thing they do is perform.'' McPherson said.

Investigators suspect the band's pyrotechnics ignited foam that had been placed on the club's walls for soundproofing. A grand jury is investigating.

Organizers of the latest concert said proceeds would be donated to a charity supervised by Longley's family and earmarked for a scholarship and trust fund for the 31-year-old musician's unborn child.

After reaching a career peak in 1990 with a cover of the Ian Hunter song ``Once Bitten, Twice Shy,'' Great White has performed mainly as a nostalgia act at smaller venues.

In addition to founding members Kendall and Russell, its current lineup includes bass player Dave Filice and drummer Eric Powers.

Hours before the Great White members were to perform, about 100 ticket holders, flanked by nearly a dozen reporters and photographers, milled about the club. Most said they came to honor the memory of friends who died in the blaze.

Duane Serfass, 30, of San Francisco handed out badges with a photo of his friend Jeff Rader, who he said escaped the club fire but died when he went back in to try to rescue his girlfriend.

``I just want to make sure that my friend is recognized,'' Serfass said.


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