Former Warrant lead singer Jani Lane was found dead Thursday night in a Los Angeles hotel room. No official cause of death has yet been released. Jani Lane, 47, fronted Warrant on and off from 1986 to 2004 and reunited with the band for a short time in 2008.
Jani Lane (born John Kennedy Oswald), best known for his stint as the lead singer of Warrant, was found dead in a Woodland Hills Comfort Inn motel on Thursday. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, no official cause of death has been released yet. An investigation is currently ongoing.
Warrant was one of the most well known 80’s ‘hair metal’ bands and enjoyed such hits as “Cherry Pie,” “Heaven” and “Down Boys.” Jani Lane had a tumultuous relationship with the band, leaving the group multiple times before finally quitting it for good in 2008.
After leaving Warrant, Jani Lane had a lukewarm solo career and was part of the supergroup Saints of the Underground. Last year he replaced Jack Russell on the Great White 25th Anniversary tour. He was also a contestant on Celebrity Fit Club season two.
In recent years, Lane was arrested several times on drunk driving charges. He was ordered to serve 120 days in jail in 2010 after his second DUI arrest in two years.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Jani’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” the past and present members of Warrant posted in a collective statement on the band’s website. “Jani was a very important part of our lives for a long time. We will always be incredibly proud of the music we created together.”
Lane is survived by two daughters from previous marriages.