Lane, a native of Akron and a graduate of nearby Field High School in Mogadore, became a rock star during the late ’80s hair- and glam-metal era, which dovetailed perfectly with the rise of videos and MTV. Warrant scored a hit with the power ballad “Heaven” from its debut album, “Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich.” But it was sophomore album “Cherry Pie” and its double-entendre-driven title track that managed to both elevate the band to arena-level stardom and reduce it to a novelty act in the eyes and ears of many music fans.
A age 6 Lane got a drum set from his older brother, Eric, that he played relentlessly. Eric, who played in local bands, including the Red Buckles and Touchstone, also gave his younger brother his first guitar.
Soon young John was playing drums in bars as Mitch Dynamite, and by the time he graduated in 1982, he had started a band called Cyren playing at places such as Filthy McNasty’s in Kent.
He left Northeast Ohio to seek his fortunes in Florida and then California, where he adopted the name Jani Lane and in 1986 joined a group called Warrant. The band released “Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich” in 1988, selling 2 million copies.
When Warrant finished recording its follow-up album, executives at the band’s label, Columbia, didn’t hear a single and demanded Lane write one quickly.
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