Jani Lane

Jani Lane
Birth name	John Kennedy Oswald[1]
Born	February 1, 1964(1964-02-01) Akron, Ohio, United States
Died	August 10, 2011(2011-08-10) (aged 47) Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres	Heavy metal, glam metal, hard rock
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums
Years active	1982 - 2011
Associated acts	Warrant, Plain Jane, Sean E. River Project, Saints of the Underground, Great White
Website	http://www.janilane.net

Jani Lane (February 1, 1964 – August 10, 2011), born John Kennedy Oswald, later changed to John Patrick Oswald,^[1] was an American recording artist and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the hard rock band Warrant.

Childhood and youth

Jani Lane was born John Kennedy Oswald^[1] (later changed to John Patrick Oswald) on February 1, 1964 in Akron, Ohio.^[1] The youngest of five children to Robert and Eileen Oswald, John grew up just east of Akron in Brimfield Township along with his older brother (Eric); and three older sisters (Marcy, Michelle, and Victoria). Lane's older brother Eric was an accomplished guitarist; Lane himself learned to play drums at the age of 6 with his brother guiding and teaching him. Lane grew up listening to Cleveland rock station WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard"), and was introduced to various bands by his older sister Vicky, and parents Bob and Eileen.^[2][3] Lane played drums under the name "Mitch Dynamite" in clubs by age 11 ("Mitch Dynamite" is listed as the drummer in the credits for Warrant's Latest and Greatest CD). Throughout the years, Lane would sometimes jump behind the kit to play with his band, and he had played the drums in various formats and gigs.^[2][3]

By age 11, his older siblings had left for college or marriage except Vicky. Between his parents and his sister, he made the rounds as an amateur protege' drummer, making quite a name for himself. Lane graduated from Field High School in 1982.^[4]

Career

Early years

After graduating from high school, Lane joined the band Cyren, featuring vocalist Skip Hammonds, guitarist John Weakland, bassist Don Hoover (and later, Rusty Fohner), with Lane on drums. After making a name for himself and his band in Ohio, he relocated to Florida in 1983, Lane played drums for Dorian Gray, before forming Plain Jane with future Warrant bandmate Steven (Chamberlin) Sweet. It was at this time that Lane adopted the stage name "Jani Lane." Lane got the name by his German grandparents' pronunciation and spelling of Johnny as "Jani." They said it as Yay-nee and that stuck. While playing drums with Dorian Gray, Lane began vocal training with Central Florida vocal coach/trainer Ron Feldman. Feldman introduced Lane to Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando where he worked as a programmer of the animatronic character, Dook LaRue, the drummer for the Rock-afire Explosion. His vocal debut was at Fern Park Station in Fern Park, Florida.

Lane and Sweet later relocated to Los Angeles, California, where they took various odd jobs to survive. Struggling to make ends meet as a musician, Lane resorted to working in a pornographic video warehouse.^[5]

By 1986, Plain Jane had become a regular feature in the L.A. club circuit. Erik Turner, who had founded Warrant in July 1984, was impressed by Plain Jane's songwriting and vocal performance, and invited Lane and Sweet to jam with his band at Hollywood's db Sound in September of 1986.

Early years with Warrant

After generating notoriety on the club circuit, Warrant began to attract the attention of record labels. Following an abortive deal with A&M records over a contribution to the soundtrack for the motion picture Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the band signed with Columbia Records. The Columbia deal came via the partnering of Warrant and manager Tom Hullet (known for working with The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and others). Tom became Lane's mentor and friend until his death from cancer in 1993.

As lead vocalist with Warrant, Lane wrote three Top 40 hit singles: "Heaven," "Down Boys" and "Sometimes She Cries" for Warrant's debut album Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200.^[6] and another three Top 40 hit singles: "Cherry Pie," "I Saw Red," and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" from the second album Cherry Pie, which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200.^[7] Lane also co-wrote and performed with Warrant the song "The Power" in the 1992 movie Gladiator.

Later years with Warrant

Lane left Warrant in March 1993, following the release of the band's critically acclaimed record Dog Eat Dog which peaked at number 25 on The Billboard 200.^[8] He returned to the band in September 1994, helping the band to secure a new record with Tom Lipsky of CMC International. The band then recorded Ultraphobic in 1995, Belly to Belly in 1996, Greatest & Latest in 1999 and a cover album Under the Influence in 2001.

Due to personal and business disagreements, Lane left Warrant in 2004. In January 2008, the band's agent, The William Morris Agency issued a new photograph of the band with Lane prominently featured, confirming his return to the band. It was the first time that all original members had been in the band since 1992. The band's first show with all original members was in May 2008 in Nashville. Warrant then performed a series of shows during the summer of 2008, but by September 2008, Warrant and Lane agreed to move forward separately, due to "too much water under the bridge." Warrant and Lane both continued to perform Lane's compositions live and Lane continued to write for himself and other artists.

Solo career

Lane lent his vocals to numerous tribute CDs during the beginning years of 2000 and released his solo effort, Back Down To One in 2003 in Europe and (2006) in the US on Immortal/Sidewinder Records. Lane also had success with the VH1 Metal Mania Stripped discs where an acoustic version of "I Saw Red" is on disc 1, and an acoustic swinging version of "Cherry Pie" is on disc 2.

Lane became involved in acting in the early 1990s. He made a brief appearance in Caged Fear, and also appeared in High Strung in 1991.

Between 1997 and 2000, demos of Lane's solo material began surfacing on the Internet, with some bids on eBay reaching an estimated $US100.00 per copy.^{[citation needed]} The project, titled Jabberwocky, represented a significant musical departure from Lane's previous work. The CD has never been officially released.

Lane's official debut solo album, Back Down to One, was released on June 17, 2003 through Z Records. It carried a "power pop" sound which was more closely aligned with the sound of Warrant than the unreleased Jabberwocky project.

In August 2004, Lane withdrew from the Bad Boys of Metal tour after only eight shows.

Lane contributed vocals on the track "Bastille Day" and "2112 Overture/Temples Of Syrinx" for the Magna Carta 2005 Rush tribute album Subdivisions.

In Fall 2004, Lane contributed the lead vocals for the first ever theme song to a novel, The Devil of Shakespeare, by author, Billy McCarthy, along with JY from Styx, Ron Flynt 20/20, Chip Z'Nuff of Enuff Z'Nuff.

In 2005, Lane was featured on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 2.

Keri Kelli and Lane wrote a song for Alice Cooper, titled, "The One That Got Away." It was recorded by Cooper on his 2008 record, Along Came a Spider. Lane also finished work on his side project, Saints of the Underground. This project also consists of Bobby Blotzer and Robbie Crane (both from Ratt), and Keri Kelli (from Alice Cooper). Their album, Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner was released on April 22, 2008 by, Warrior Records.

In the Summer 2010, Lane went on tour with Great White, filling in for singer Jack Russell, who was recuperating from surgery after suffering internal complications. Also Lane had plans to make a new solo album and tour to support it, but it all got scrapped in early 2011.

Death

On August 11, 2011, Lane was found dead of acute alcohol poisoning at a Comfort Inn hotel in Woodland Hills, California.^[9] He was 47 years old.^[10][11]

Discography

With Warrant

• 1989 Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
• 1990 Cherry Pie
• 1992 Dog Eat Dog
• 1995 Ultraphobic
• 1996 Belly to Belly
• 1997 Warrant Live 86-97
• 1999 Greatest & Latest (New versions)
• 2001 Under the Influence

Solo

• 2002 Back Down to One
• 2007 Photograph (cover album)

With Saints of the Underground

• 2008 Love the Sin, Hate the Sinner

With Liberty N Justice

• 2011Sin(Single)

Soundtracks

• 1992 Gladiator OST: "We Will Rock You" (Queen cover)
• 1992 Gladiator OST: The Power
• 2001 Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure OST : "Game Of War"

Songwriting

• 2008 Alice Cooper Along Came a Spider

Other Work

• 1998 Forever Mod: Portrait of a Storyteller - Tribute to Rod Stewart: "I Was Only Joking"
• 1999 Not The Same Old Song And Dance - A Tribute to Aerosmith: "No Surprise"
• 2000 Tribute to Van Halen 2000: "Panama"
• 2000 Cheap Dream: Cheap Trick Tribute: "I Want You to Want Me" (The Mission UK Remix)
• 2000 Leppardmania- A tribute to Def Leppard: "Photograph"
• 2005 Hell Bent Forever - A tribute to Judas Priest: "Electric Eye"
• 2005 Metal Mania Stripped VH1: "I Saw Red"
• 2005 VH1 Classic Metal Mania Stripped 2: Anthems "Cherry Pie"
• 2005 Subdivisions: A Tribute to Rush: "2112 Overture/Temples of Syrinx", "Bastille Day"
• 2006 A Tribute to Bon Jovi: "Lay Your Hands on Me"
• 2007 Monster Ballads Xmas : "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
• 2008 Led Box - The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Tribute: "The Ocean"
• 2010 Siam Shade Tribute: "1/3 no Junjou na Kanjou"
• 2011 Sin-Atra: A Metal Tribute To Frank Sinatra: "That's Life"

Singles

As Jani Lane

• 1991 Voices That Care (Various) U.S. #11, U.S. AC #6 CAN #61 non-album song

Music videos

Year	Video	Director
1991	Voices That Care (As Jani Lane) (Various)	David S. Jackson

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Hughes, Mark (August 12, 2011). "Jani Lane, Former Frontman for Glam Band 'Warant', Found Dead". Forbes.com. Forbes.com LLC. http://blogs.forbes.com/markhughes/?p=818. Retrieved August 24, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Klosterman, Chuck (July 19, 2001). "Glam Slam Metal Jam - Bands from 1980s at Blossom Tonight". Akron Beacon Journal (Beacon Journal Publishing Co.): p. E12 - Entertainment. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Abram, Malcolm X (August 13, 2011). "Former Warrant Singer Jani Lane, 47, Akron Native - Hits Include 'Cherry Pie', 'Heavan' ". Akron Beacon Journal (Beacon Journal Publishing Co.): p. B1. 
4. ^ Johnson, Kevin C. (June 22, 1995). "B.I.G. Big on Pop Charts: Rapper a.k.a. Biggie Smalls to Be at Gund with Ice Cube, Others". Akron Beacon Journal (Beacon Journal Publishing Co.): p. E2 - Entertainment. 
5. ^ WARRANT | MusicMight
6. ^ "Allmusic (Warrant awards & charts)Billboard albums". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5790. 
7. ^ "Allmusic (Warrant charts & awards) Billboard albums". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5790. 
8. ^ "Allmusic (Warrant charts & awards) Billboard albums". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5790. 
9. ^ "Jani Lane, the once energetic blond lead singer and songwriter for heavy metal band Warrant, died from alcohol poisoning, the Los Angeles County coroner said Wednesday". Reuters. October 5, 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/us-janilane-idUSTRE7946IR20111005. 
10. ^ "Former WARRANT Singer JANI LANE Dead At 47". BlabberMouth. http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=161881. 
11. ^ "Jani Lane, lead singer of Warrant, dead at 47". cbs8. http://www.cbs8.com/story/15256195/jani-lane-lead-singer-of-warrant-dead-at-47. Retrieved 12 August 2011. 

External links

• Official website
• Saints of the Underground on Myspace
• Jani Lane at the Internet Movie Database
• Jani Lane, Warrant, And The Tribute That Wasn't
• Photos Of Jani Lane
• Jani Lane Interview
• Jani Lane Self Written Bio

Persondata
Name	Lane, Jani
Alternative names	Oswald, John Kennedy
Short description	Singer-songwriter, Musician
Date of birth	February 1, 1964
Place of birth	Akron, Ohio, United States
Date of death	August 11, 2011)
Place of death	Los Angeles, California, United States