Leslie Michele Derrough at GlideMagazine.com recently caught up with GREAT WHITE guitarist Mark Kendall. During the interview she asked Kendall to share his thoughts on WARRANT vocalist Jani Lane, who tragically passed away on August 11th.

Kendall: "My wife and I were close to his wife and him. We had something in common with alcoholism. I battled alcohol before. I wouldn’t want to call myself his sponsor but I was more like a sober friend and I tried to encourage him. He was actually out singing with us for a little bit, completely professional, he wasn’t drinking or anything, he looked amazing, he sang wonderful. The fans hadn’t seen him look so good and sing so good in twenty years and he was just so great. I remember sitting in an airport one time and he was sitting with his wife and I go, 'Jani, man, you look so amazing right now.' I go, 'What’s wrong with this? I mean, you’ve got to feel great. The fans say you haven’t sang this great in so long and you’re just looking so good.' And he goes, 'I know it, I love it.' So I really encouraged him and I sent him daily prayers, every single day I sent him a prayer …

What people don’t realize is Jani, for one thing, he’s got a lot of talent. I mean, he is the most talented guy. He played drums on his own records, that’s how good he is. People don’t even know that. He wrote every Warrant song you’ve ever heard. But with his alcoholism, his demons … He wanted to be sober more than anything. He really, really loved his sobriety. It’s just the demons he battled and I know what it’s like. I understand it because I’m an alcoholic myself. I’ve just managed to overcome it a day at a time. I found something that works for me … Jani just kept firing the bullet and it was just the fatal one that finally happened. But he didn’t want it to happen, believe me. So it’s really a horrid tragedy and when something like that happens, it just hurts so many people and it’s unfortunate. But I want everyone to know that he really wanted to be a sober man."

Go to this location for the complete interview

As previously reported, Great White, QUIET RIOT, LA GUNS, ENUFF Z'NUFF and SLAMMIN' GLADYS performed at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA on August 29th in honour of Lane. Fan-filmed video footage from the show can be seen below: