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Saxophonist and No Wave movement pioneer James Chance died on Tuesday, June 18, at the age of 71. Originally called James Siegfried, Chance was a veteran singer and saxophonist of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and The Contortions. He was also the torchbearer of the No Wave movement of the late 1970s.
According to the singer's official Facebook page, Chance breathed his last at New York's Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center. Although the specificities of this death haven't been revealed by his family, the singer's brother David Siegfried said that Chance's health had been plummeting for several years.
A long post about the veteran musician was also posted on his official Facebook page which revealed that James' last live performance was in March 2019 at Utrecht, Netherlands.
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James Chance had been suffering from health problems for several years. In 2020, a GoFundMe page was also set up by his brother to help him get treatment and sustain himself during the pandemic.
"Any donations you can give will be going directly to cover the cost of James's medical and living expenses, and any funds beyond his immediate needs will go into a retirement fund for James," the donation page read.
Veteran musician and No Wave movement legend James Chance's life in a nutshell
Born in Milwaukee, James Chance (aka James Siegfried) was one of the founding members of the infamous No Wave movement in New York in the late 1970s. It started as a protest against the commercially lucrative New Wave music that was becoming popular then.
Chance was famous for his intensely violent concerts, where he would deliberately pick up fights with the audience. In one instance, he even fought with the American veteran journalist and critic Robert Cristgau.
The veteran saxophonist had been in several bands to showcase his talent for taking the improvisational jazz/punk style to a different level. Some of the bands are Death, Flaming Demonics, James Chance & the Sardonic Symphonics, James Chance and Terminal City, James Chance and Les Contortions, and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks.
Chance met Lydia Lunch and started Teenage Jesus and the Jerks before forming the Contortions in 1977. In 1979, the Contortions renamed themselves as James White and the Blacks before releasing Off White in 1980.
However, Chance's whimsical demeanor and violence were the reason his band broke up and regrouped with a new lineup several times. For instance, the band's 1982 album, Sax Maniac, had a totally different lineup than that of 1980's Off White.
Journalist Marc Masters perfectly summed up the brand of music composed by the Contortions in the liner notes of the re-issue of their album Buy.
"Led by the brash yelps and free-sax squawks of Chance, Contortions spit out fiercely rhythmic tunes charged by the wiry guitar lines of Jody Harris and the dizzying slide guitar of Pat Place," explained Masters.
He continued his description of the iconic musical numbers of the album:
"Opener ‘Designed to Kill’ shoots sparks of sound in all directions, while ‘Contort Yourself’ is a nihilistic dance number wherein Chance instructs listeners to twist into knots, physically and mentally."
The journalist brought out the essence of the album, and in turn, Chance's music, and concluded the description by saying:
"It’s better than pleasure, it hurts more than pain. You better try being stupid instead of smart."
The saxophonist reunited with his band members in 2001 and was in regular touch with them as they performed in various events and toured regularly. In 2016, he also performed with the Chicago band Watchers.
Chance's last performance was in March 2019 at Utrecht. After the Covid pandemic, the veteran's physical condition plummeted, and he did not perform again.
Several industry juggernauts have come forward to pay their tributes to the No Wave veteran on social media. The Contortions guitarist Pat Place wrote on James's official Facebook page:
"I’m so sad to hear of James’ passing. Working with him in the early days of the Contortions was a roller coaster ride of fun, creativity and insanity. His loss is a great one for the downtown community and the music world."
American actor Elijah Wood also paid his respects via a post on X:
"So long to No Wave legend James Chance. Play Contort Yourself loud."
According to his official Facebook page, Chance's last rites will be performed in a private ceremony, and the details will be announced later.
