Who Was Brian James? Exploring the Life and Legacy of The Damned Guitarist Amid His Death at 70

Revisiting the life and legacy of Brian James, the guitarist of The Damned, as he passes away at the age of 70. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 08, 2025 | 11:43 AM GMT | 35.5K

Facebook / Brian James

Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of death.

Brian James, the original guitarist and songwriter for The Damned and The Lords of the New Church, died at 70. James passed away peacefully on March 6, 2025, surrounded by his family.

His family confirmed the news of his demise in a statement published on Facebook. James was instrumental in determining the formative punk scene, penning The Damned's first single, New Rose, in October 1976. The song is generally considered to be Britain's first punk single.

The Facebook tribute to James read, "It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of the true pioneers of music, guitarist, songwriter, and true gentleman, Brian James."

He was also the main songwriter of the band’s debut album, Damned Damned Damned, which came out in February 1977. The band included lead vocalist Dave Vanian, bassist Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies, alongside James.

Captain Sensible paid a heartfelt tribute to his late bandmate, writing on X, "A lovely bloke that I feel so lucky to have met all those years ago and for some reason chose me to help in his quest for the music revolution that became known as punk."

Although The Damned never cracked the U.S. charts, their impact was immense, with songs appearing on movies and television shows like Miami Vice, That '70s Show, and The Simpsons. They briefly parted ways following their 1977 release, Music for Pleasure.

Later, James founded the short-lived Tanz Der Youth and toured with Black Sabbath on the Never Say Die! Tour. They also released a single titled I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry / Delay in 1978.

The Facebook tribute continued, "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 that spanned more than six decades, with his music also gracing film and television soundtracks."

While he continued to contribute to music with his iconic skills, in the later decades of his career, in 2012, he released a solo acoustic album, Chateau Brian. James also worked with Iggy Pop, The MC5’s Wayne Kramer, and Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan. In 2022, The Damned original members performed a series of concerts in the UK.

Brian James leaves behind his wife, Minna. He is survived by his son Charlie and daughter-in-law Alicia.