Warrant frontman Jani Lane died of alcohol poisoning

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Jani Lane, the once energetic blond lead singer and songwriter for heavy metal band Warrant, died from alcohol poisoning, the Los Angeles County coroner said on Wednesday.

Lane was found dead in a Los Angeles motel room on August 11. He was 47.

His official cause of death was listed as "acute ethanol intoxication," according to Lt. Larry Dietz of the coroner's office.

Lane, best known for singing lead vocals and writing the Hollywood glam band's hits such as "Cherry Pie" that led them to success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was discovered in a budget motel in suburban Woodland Hills.

At the time of his death, celebrity website TMZ reported that a half empty bottle of vodka and prescription medication had been found in his motel room.

The Ohio-born Lane left Warrant left the band several times before returning for a series for concerts in 2008, after which he left the band permanently.

Lane also pursued a solo career and appeared on a reality TV series about celebrities aiming to lose weight. He had been arrested several times for drunk driving.

Warrant's other hits included "Heaven," and "Sometimes She Cries" and the rock anthem "Down Boys." Along with other '80s Los Angeles bands such as "Poison," Warrant was a part of the heavy metal subgenre known as "glam" or "hair" metal for their ability to combine flamboyant hair, antics and outfits with a heavy rock musical style filled with power chords.

(Reporting by Mary Slosson; Editing by Jill Serjeant)