In 1982, founding members Mark Kendall, Jack Russell, drummer Gary Holland, and bassist Lorne Black recorded and released a 5-song EP, Out of the Night, with producer Don Dokken on the independent label Aegean formed by their manager Alan Niven. Niven then convinced the Los Angeles radio

station KMET to begin adding songs from the EP to its playlist in heavy rotation. KLOS-FM soon did the same. The band suddenly went from drawing 100 people at local clubs to drawing thousands. As an unsigned act, Great White headlined at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia playing to 6,250 people. Near the end of 1983, EMI America signed the band and subsequently released Great White’s eponymous debut album in early 1984. The band immediately toured the UK supporting Whitesnake’s Slide It In tour and the entire US and Canada opening for Judas Priest’s Defenders of the Faith tour. Their follow up release was Shot in the Dark, which was reissued by Capitol Records. After the release of Shot in the Dark, Great White hit the road with Dokken and was on the verge of even bigger success.

The band hit the mainstream in 1987 when they released Once Bitten…, which featured the hits “Rock Me” and “Save Your Love”,( a song which neither the producer nor the record label wanted on the album as they felt it was too soft). Russell informed them that he would quit if the song was not included. Once Bitten… was certified platinum in April 1988.