LOS ANGELES – As investigators searched for clues Friday as to what killed Jani Lane, the former lead singer of the rock band Warrant, his family and friends prepared for two memorial services to honor the rocker.

Lane, 47, was found dead Thursday in a hotel room in the San Fernando Valley, which is north of downtown Los Angeles.

Coroner’s officials did not determine a cause of death after an autopsy Friday, but said they would await the results of toxicology testing that could take up to two months.

With his long blond hair and tight leather outfits, Lane embodied the excess of 1980s “hair metal” rock bands. He joined Warrant in 1984 and wrote such hits as “Heaven,” “Down Boys” and “Cherry Pie.”

He left the band in 1992 before returning and quitting several times. He left for good in 2008.

The current band was to offer a tribute to Lane at a performance Friday night in Grand Forks, N.D., their publicist said.

Advertisement

His family will convene Sunday for a private memorial service, Lane’s manager and longtime friend Obi Steinman said. A public memorial with performances by fellow metal bands including Great White and L.A. Guns will be held Aug. 24 at a venue to be announced later, he said.

“He was one of the great rock-and-roll frontmen and singers of all time,” Steinman said.

Lane had two drunken driving arrests in recent years. Steinman said he battled alcoholism for years.

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.