Brian James, the founding guitarist for influential British punk band the Damned, has passed away at the age of 70. No specific details of the circumstances behind his passing were provided.

Raymond Burns aka Captain Sensible, his bandmate from the Damned, said on X:

"We’re shocked to hear that creator of the Damned, our great chum Brian James, has sadly gone. 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."

James wrote "New Rose," which is widely recognized as breaking punk music in Britain, the single arrived months ahead of the Sex Pistols’ "Anarchy in the UK." He also served as the lead songwriter for the band’s debut album, Damned Damned Damned, released in February 1977. Shortly after the band's second album, Music for Pleasure, which received mixed reviews, James left the Damned and went on to form various projects, including the Lords of the New Church in the 1980s.

Born Brian Robertson in Hammersmith, London, in February 1955, James began his music career with the proto-punk band London SS before establishing the Damned in 1976 alongside Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, and Rat Scabies.

The band’s debut performance took place in July 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols, although they faced many issues along the way, including being removed from a tour by the Pistols’ management.

After leaving the Damned, James collaborated with Iggy Pop on tour and worked with Stewart Copeland on his initial solo singles, released in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In 2000, he participated in a project called Racketeers alongside Wayne Kramer and Duff McKagan. Later on in his career, he went back and revisited his work with the Damned through a solo album in 2013 and even reunited with former bandmates a few times for tours in 1988 and 2022.

Brian James leaves behind his wife Minna and their son Charlie.