Former Warrant Lead Singer Jani Lane Dies

Jani Lane, the singer of 1980s glam metal powerhouse Warrant, was found dead Thursday in a motel room near Los Angeles, California. He was 47 years old. The cause of death was not immediately apparent.

Lane and his band mates made a splash in Hollywood’s metal scene with their 1989 debut album, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, topping the charts alongside acts like Poison and Motley Crue. On the strength of their hit singles “Down Boys” and “Heaven,” Warrant reached the pinnacle of their success in 1990 with their second album, the triple platinum Cherry Pie.

After the demise of the band, Lane struggled with post stardom. He gained weight and appeared on VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club in 2003. In 2009 he plead no contest to a misdemeanor DUI.

Lane’s fellow musicians took to the internet Friday morning to offer condolences. Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash tweeted, “Just heard about Jani Lane. What a shame. RIP man.” Poison lead singer, Bret Michaels, whose band toured with Warrant in the early 90s tweeted, “We'd like to offer our deepest condolences to the family of Jani Lane regarding their loss.”