Brian James

Brian James was both a journeyman rock guitarist and one of the founding fathers of British punk. As guitarist with the Damned, he wrote "New Rose," the first British punk single, contributing the song's irresistible buzzsaw guitar riff. James' run with the Damned was short, and he formed Tanz Der Youth and played guitar with Iggy Pop before he co-founded the Lords of the New Church in 1981, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1982. James put out a solo album in 1990, Brian James, and would record and perform with a wide variety of artists over the next three decades. ...