Just days after Jani Lane died, the current members of the band Warrant paid tribute to the former frontman at a concert on Friday night in Grand Forks, North Dakota.The current group of members of the American glam band — Erik Turner, Jerry Dixon, Steven Sweet, Joey Allen, and Robert Mason — dedicated the song Heaven to him That was the same song that helped put the band on the map in 1989 much thanks to the help of Lane.
“The guy was loved and he wrote some amazing songs,” current frontman Robert Mason said about Lane. “Truth be told, I love singing them, I’ve always said that. If we do this one, can we dedicate this entire show to his memory? Let’s all do this together…can we have cigarette lighters and cellphones, can we all bond together?”
On Friday, the autopsy of Lane came back inconclusive, according to the Los Angeles coroner’s office. His cause of death will be determined after the toxicology results come in, which could take up to two months to complete.
While an official cause of death hasn’t been determined, when he was found in his Comfort Inn hotel on Thursday, a half-empty bottle of vodka was found near him along with prescription medication. The death is being treated as an “accidental overdose or possible death from natural causes,” according to TMZ.
Obi Steinman, a good friend of Lane as well as his manager, told E! that he “lost his battle over alcohol.” He also noted Lane’s well-documented past with alcohol, including hitting two different parked cars within two years and being given a three-year probation for the incident as well as being jailed 120 days when he did it again in 2010.
Steinman also talked about his past, including looking at the good times. “He was one of the great rock-and-roll frontmen and singers of all time. His music helped shape the ‘80s,” Steinman said.
Shortly after the death of Lane, Warrant issued a joint statement expressing their sadness about his death. “We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Jani’s passing,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Jani was a very important part of our lives for a long time. We will always be incredibly proud of the music we created together. He was a true talent and will be missed by all of us.”
