Warrant singer Jani Lane's body was found beside a bottle of vodka and prescription medication, California police have said – leading Sebastian Bach to reflect: "His only real friend killed him in the end."
An autopsy on the 47-year-old was inconclusive following his death on Thursday in a Comfort Inn motel. Former bandmates and other musicians have paid tribute to Lane while his manager, Obi Steinman, says: "I lost a very dear friend. His family, including his young children, asks for privacy during this difficult time."
Bach, ex of Skid Row, says Lane's tragic end is "all too typical of what a rock musician’s life actually is."
He comments: "It's a life marked by extremes. Extreme attention from people you don't know while the work and travel take you away from those you do know."
"Playing to thousands of people then going back to your hotel room and shutting the door. When the door shuts the quiet is the exact opposite of the volume of the concert. The solitude of the room becomes the parallel of the adulation of strangers."
"For some, the bottle of vodka or whatever becomes a friend that's always there for you while others come and go. I've felt those emotions myself."
Bach says it's another reminder to share fond words with people you care about – while you still can. "I guarantee Jani would not have anticipated everyone coming out of the woodwork extolling his life and times", the singer continues. "Which is why he probably died alone in a hotel room with his only real friend."
His cause of death cannot be confirmed until toxicology reports are completed, which may take up to eight weeks. In the meantime investigators suspect accidental overdose or possibly natural causes.
The family of Lane, real name John Kennedy Oswald, have gathered today for a private memorial service. His sister Vicky Oswald-Ley says: "Alcoholism is something he fought every day – and it just won."
"There were no drugs; that was one thing he could not tolerate. But he'd get clean and sober then fall off the wagon."
"He was talented and witty and bright – but he shut his siblings out, and I know that's because he was ashamed of his drinking. There wasn't a day when one of us didn't try to contact him."
Ex-Warrant Singer Jani Lane Dead at 47
Jani Lane, former lead singer of the hard rock band Warrant, was found dead at a hotel in Los Angeles this evening. Lanes body was discovered at the Comfort Inn in Woodland Hills a couple hours ago. No cause of death has been determined yet. Lane had reportedly been struggling with alcohol again and served 120 days in jail from a second DUI conviction in two years. RIP Jani.
Warrant Singer, Fit Club Star Jani Lane Found Dead in L.A.
Details regarding the circumstances of Lane’s death have not yet been released by authorities overseeing the case.
In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Warrant found success with rock songs including “Cherry Pie,” and “Down Boys,” and power ballads “I Saw Red” and “Sometimes She Cries.” The band’s platinum-selling albums Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich and Cherry Pie put it among the most popular glam bands of the era.
Later in its career, the group attempted to adjust to the post-Nirvana, alt-rock musical landscape— and to its own dramatic lineup changes—by releasing a decidedly darker album, 1992′s Dog Eat Dog. Although the album received a level of critical praise rarely doled out to bands of that genre, the disc failed to match the band’s previous success. It now ranks as an enduring favorite among fans.
