A tribute to Jani Lane of Warrant

Jani Lane died on 11 August 2011. This article provides an overview of his life and journey to fame as the lead singer of Warrant.

11 August 2011 marked the death of one of the glam metal greats: Jani Lane from Warrant. Jani's website, Janilane.net, features a biography that was updated several days before his death by Jani Lane himself. This biography takes you with him on his journey to fame. The beginning
Jani was born on 1 February 1964 in Ohio. His parents, Eileen and Robert Oswald, were huge fans of John F. Kennedy and were devastated by his assassination. They named their new son John Kennedy Oswald. In his biography, Jani notes that they were related to Lee Harvey Oswald. The name raised a stir, and the family finally changed Jani’s name to John Patrick Oswald. Jani got his first drum kit at the age of sic. He was already playing professionally in Ohio at the age of 15 under the stage name of Mitch Dynamite. Jani Lane goes to Hollywood
At the age of 18, Jani went to Florida to join the cover band Dorian Grey and took the name Jani Lane. In the spring of 1985, he and another band member, Steven Sweet, decided to make the move to Hollywood, California. They formed a band called Plain Jane and found some success opening for Guns & Roses, but they could not get signed. Sweet and Jani had just decided to move back to Florida when they had an invitation to go to a studio with a band named Warrant to jam. Jani Lane joins Warrant, then leaves the band
Warrant's first album came out on Jani’s birthday in 1989. Down Boys hit number 17 in the charts. Heaven, which Jani had written while visiting his dad in the hospital, hit number one on the song and video charts. Warrant toured that year, opening for Motley Crue. Their second album featured the infamous Cherry Pie single that was both the hit and the bane of Jani’s career. Jani left Warrant in 1993. He returned several times, but finally in September of 2008 he left permanently. Yet, he will always be known as the lead singer of Warrant and one of the founders of glam metal.