Brian James, the pioneering guitarist who co-founded influential British punk band The Damned, has died at age 70. He passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 6, surrounded by his wife Minna, son Charlie, and daughter-in-law Alicia.
James was instrumental in shaping the early UK punk scene as the primary songwriter for The Damned's groundbreaking first releases. In October 1976, the band made history by releasing "New Rose," widely considered the first British punk single, beating the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." by five weeks.
The London-born musician formed The Damned in 1976 with vocalist Dave Vanian, bassist Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns), and drummer Rat Scabies after playing in proto-punk outfit London SS. The band quickly established themselves in the burgeoning punk movement, making their debut opening for the Sex Pistols at London's 100 Club.
James wrote most of the material for the band's first two albums released in 1977 - "Damned Damned Damned" (the first UK punk album) and "Music for Pleasure" - before departing the group later that year.
His distinctive guitar style earned praise from contemporaries like Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page. "We used to call Brian the riff-meister," former bandmate Captain Sensible told Rolling Stone in 2017.
After leaving The Damned, James embarked on various musical ventures including touring with Iggy Pop, forming Lords of the New Church in the 1980s, and releasing several solo albums. He occasionally reunited with The Damned, most recently in 2022 for a series of shows with the original lineup.
Captain Sensible paid tribute on social media: "While it's truly awful our mate has been taken I prefer to celebrate the life... and what a life Brian James had."
No cause of death has been announced.