In her new book, “The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock and Roll Narrative,” Author K.L. Doty unveils the long-awaited story of the life of vocalist Jack Russell. From his early years as the original front man for American rock band Great White to the band’s subsequent success with its million-selling album, Once Bitten as well as thesubsequent follow-up, Twice Shy, and their infectious cover of the Ian Hunter song, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” Russell gives readers an inside look into the glory days and debauchery of eighties hard rock.

Doty’s book, which will be released this summer, also promises to reveal a deeper, more complex story of Russell’s life. One that offers readers a personal and eye-opening account of the singer’s rise, fall, and return to fame following the horrific events of The Station Nightclub fire in February of 2003. In it, Doty helps to uncover Russell’s creative and enduring spirit, one showcased both in and outside of the spotlight.

I recently spoke with K.L. Doty about Jack Russell’s upcoming autobiography and more in this new interview.

How did you and Jack Russell connect?

My husband, Chip Z’Nuff is in a band Enuff Z’Nuff. They’ve been around since the eighties and still actively tour. I helped sell merchandise on the road for Enuff Z’Nuff for a long time and Jack Russell’s Great White was one of the bands that Chip toured with. That’s how I met him.

How did this project come about?

I had been approached several times over the course of a few years by Robby Lochner, who is Jack’s guitarist. I said no every time because even then I knew how much work was going to be involved. Then In September of 2020 I was asked again. At the time, I had just finished almost two years of study to become a wardrobe stylist through the New York University of Art and Science. I still wasn’t interested in taking on so much work but went to bed and literally woke up in the middle of the night thinking, “I have to do this.” That’s how it all started.

What was the writing process like?

People often ask me what my biggest advice for writing a book is, and it’s always “Don’t do it!” [laughs]. You start off with stars in your eyes but the longer you go the stars can start to dim, because it’s a lot of information. And it’s not like I was writing some cute little fairy tale from my own brain. I was writing someone else’s story and it was all true. So if someone tells me something, even if it was just a single sentence that contained a few facts, I would have to go and fact check with multiple sources. It can be hard to corral the information and still create a cohesive story. I had to learn to be organized and do whatever I could to seek out the information I needed.

What were some of the other challenges you faced during?

I didn’t realize I would be giving up as much as I did, including spending time on the road with my husband. I was working with other people’s schedules and had to put personal relationships on hold because this book had to be first. The whole process took four years in total and I spent the first two years interviewing Jack a few times a week for about an hour and half. It was all recorded and there was so much to transcribe. My goal was to get the general idea of things and then make it sound the best that I could. I received the first copy recently. It didn’t become real until I actually held it in my hands. That’s when it sunk in that this heavy thing I was holding; something that you could open up and look through, actually existed!

Did Jack share any fun “rock and roll” stories with you?

Oh, he had a lot of those. Little anecdotes, like when he was on tour with Judas Priest and they trashed the hotel room and threw everything out into the pool. It was one of the first times the band had been on the road and they wound up having to pay out a lot of money.

Jack says “I’m sorry” quite a bit when discussing the events of The Station Nightclub fire. How did you approach talking to him about such a difficult subject?

It was a heavy thing to have myself go through as a writer and I was very cautious talking about certain things. Jack says “I’m sorry” in the book because, legally, he wasn’t allowed to say it during the trial, because doing so would be considered an admission of guilt. This is the first time he gets to speak out on that.

Can you tell me a little about your background and how it helped shape you into who you are today?

I come from a very whimsical family and grew up around a lot of influential people in rock and roll and Hollywood. Growing up, my grandmother would host these incredible parties where random celebrities would just show up. I knew one day I wanted to be just like that — to host parties with people like that. When I was sixteen, I’d lie to get out of going to school by telling them I was sick or on a family vacation, and then I’d tell my parents that I was going on a field trip. Then I’d go to venues with these rock bands where I would just be there and interview them. Times were different then, but I’d show up and say I was so and so and I was writing articles for this or that magazine. Being female, it was inevitable that I was going to be labeled a groupie, so people looked at it the wrong way. But my main goal was to learn more about the industry.

Are there any other projects you’re currently working on right now?

I have a record that should be coming out by the end of the year. If you ask me how I would describe it, I’d say it’s what would happen if Norah Jones were to do a record with Alice Cooper, Nine Inch Nails and Beethoven. I like to give the sound the imaginary title of phantasmagoric pop. I like very soft, ghostly elements but I don’t mind the industrial drive in the bass. I’m also focusing on boxing right now. It’s something I didn’t know was in me but I really don’t mind hitting hard. We’ll see where it takes me.

Is there a message you’d like people to take away from reading the book?

I want them to take away the beauty of words. The story aside, I wrote this book in such a way where, even under the most horrible of events or feelings, it makes you feel like you’re eating something delicious. Adjectives, synonyms and what have you, it’s a beautiful little puzzle piece. My goal was to take all of the best words and put them in the right order to make a true story taste as incredible as it sounds.

The True Tale of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative will be released this summer.