Brian James obit

Founding THE DAMNED Guitarist BRIAN JAMES Dead At 70

 

He was not on the list.

Brian James, founding member of THE DAMNED, died peacefully on Thursday, March 6, with his wife Minna, son Charlie and daughter-in-law Alicia by his side. He was 70 years old.

Writer of the first-ever U.K. punk single "New Rose", Brian was the principal songwriter of THE DAMNED's debut album, "Damned Damned Damned", which was released in February 1977. Parting ways with THE DAMNED following the release of the group's second album, the Nick Mason-produced "Music For Pleasure", Brian created the short-lived TANZ DER YOUTH, before he formed THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH with his friend and fellow rocker Stiv Bators.

In a wave of excitement, headed by the twin powers of Brian James and Stiv Bators, three successful studio albums followed for THE LORD OF THE NEW CHURCH, spawning singles such as "Open Your Eyes", "Dance With Me" and "Method To My Madness". Always looking for new challenges and keen to work with different musicians, over the years that followed, Brian formed THE DRIPPING LIPS and guested on different records, while creating the BRIAN JAMES GANG and working on his solo albums.

Incessantly creative and a musical tour de force, over a career which spanned more than six decades, with his music also gracing film and television soundtracks, in addition to THE DAMNED and THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH, Brian worked with a plethora of punk and rock and roll's finest, fromIggy Pop to Wayne Kramer, Stewart Copeland to Cheetah Chrome. Most recently, more than four decades after the release of the epoch-making "New Rose", the original members of THE DAMNED reformed for a series of very special and emotional U.K. shows in 2022.