Thu Mar 06 21:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Punk Pioneer Brian James, Founding Member of The Damned, Dies at 70
**LONDON, March 6, 2025** – Brian James, a founding member of the seminal punk band The Damned and principal songwriter behind their debut album *Damned Damned Damned*, passed away peacefully at age 70. He was surrounded by his wife Minna, son Charlie, and daughter-in-law Alicia.
James, who penned the UK’s first-ever punk single, “New Rose,” was a prolific and influential figure in the punk and rock scene. After leaving The Damned, he formed the short-lived Tanz Der Youth and then The Lords of the New Church with Stiv Bators, achieving further success with three studio albums. Throughout his six-decade career, James collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including Iggy Pop, Wayne Kramer, and Stewart Copeland, and continued to create music with various projects such as The Dripping Lips and the Brian James Gang. His music also featured prominently in film and television soundtracks.
Most recently, James reunited with the original members of The Damned in 2022 for a series of UK shows, marking a poignant return for the band more than four decades after the release of their groundbreaking hit “New Rose.” James will be remembered as a true innovator and gentleman of punk rock.
First Piper 