Former WARRANT Singer JANI LANE Dead At 47

According to TMZ.com, former WARRANT singer Jani Lane was found dead earlier this evening (Thursday, August 11) at a Los Angeles-area hotel. He was 47 years old.



Lane's body was discovered at the Comfort Inn hotel in Woodland Hills, California. So far, no official cause of death has been released.

Lane famously penned the band's biggest hit "Cherry Pie" back in 1989 ... before eventually leaving the band to pursue a solo career.

Lane had a history of alcohol-related issues -- he was ordered to serve 120 days in jail after he was arrested for DUI in 2010 ... his second DUI in two years.

In February, Lane (born John Kennedy Oswald on February 1, 1964) canceled all of his previously announced solo tour dates two days before the first show was due to take place. No explanation was offered for the cancelation.

WARRANT announced in September 2008 that it was splitting with Lane six months after the band reunited with the troubled vocalist. He has since been replaced by Robert Mason (LYNCH MOB, CRY OF LOVE, BIG COCK).

Lane originally left WARRANT in March 1993 but rejoined the band in September 1994. The group went on to record the "Ultraphobic" (1995), "Belly To Belly" (1996) and "Greatest & Latest" (1999) albums and issued and collection of covers, "Under The Influence", in 2001. Jani quit WARRANT again in 2004 before reuniting with the group four years later.

Lane released a solo album, "Back Down to One", in 2003, but shortly after was admitted to a rehab center for alcohol and drug-related exhaustion. He also appeared on VH1's reality series "Celebrity Fit Club".

On July 19, 2010, Lane pled no contest to DUI stemming from his arrest two months earlier — and was ordered to serve 120 days in jail. In addition, Lane lost his license for three years and had to complete a 30-month alcohol-education program.

Prior to serving time in jail for his most recent legal troubles, Lane issued a statement in which he said, in part, "My true hope is that anyone out there dealing with personal problems... the consequences do not get lighter. I can only say I've never regretted a good decision or action and never been proud of bad ones. People have an astounding ability to forgive... I have to start with forgiving myself. That is something that I find far more difficult than I imagined. I think it starts with gratitude."

In a June 2010 interview, Lane spoke about his battle with alcoholism and the negative impact it has had on his career.

"The last year, I've suffered some consequences from drinking that I've never suffered in my entire life," he said. "It's really made me take a step back and go, 'Is this how you want to continue? Is this how you want to finish up?' The answer is no."

He continued, "I'll tell you, one day you think that this is absolutely normal, this is expected, 'This has been my lifestyle for 20 years, what's the problem?' And, all of a sudden, things take a turn, and you go, 'I don't like these consequences. I don't like how this affects my family, I don't like how this affects my career, I don't like how this affects anything.' Then you begin to work."

When asked if his treatment involved going to a rehab, Lane replied, "I have gone to rehabilitation, absolutely. I know some people who want to be quiet about that kind of stuff, but I am not the kind of person who pride is going to win out over saying, 'Hey, I'm honestly getting this in check and fixing this.' It is a very important thing to me. I mean, this just doesn't affect me like it used to. It affects everything in my life, including the people I love. To be honest, I get tired of giving ammo to the people who don't wish me well."