James Chance, no-wave icon and The Contortions legend, dead at 71
No-wave icon, legendary jazz saxophonist, and frontman of The Contortions, James Chance, has passed away at the age of 71, as confirmed by the musician’s brother, David Siegfried.
According to the official statement posted on Facebook, Chance passed away at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center in New York. It also stated that, while Siegfried did not disclose a specific cause of death, Chance had been battling with health complications for several years.
Born in Wisconsin, Chance began playing the piano at his Catholic elementary school and started playing alt saxophone at the age of 18. During his time at university, he formed two bands, jazz-led James Siegfried Quintet and Death, which were influenced by The Stooges.
After moving to New York in 1975, he began using the name James Chance and soon began playing alongside musician and lyricist Lydia Lunch in Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Chance formed the first lineup of The Contortions in 1977, comprising Jody Harris, Pat Place, George Scott III, Don Christiansen, and Adele Bertei.
According to the Facebook post, an early review of their live performance read: “Mr. Chance immediately established his personal space at the top of his performance by kicking out all those artist types sitting crosslegged within about a six-foot radius of his band, as he snarled and smirked with unmerciful obnoxiousness.”
1979 proved to be a pivotal year when ZE Records released both The Contortions’ debut album and Off White by James White and the Blacks, a musical group Chance formed in 1977. According to Facebook, these were two paramount projects Chance “would toggle between these two appellations for the remainder of his career.”
After The Contortions disbanded, Chance would occasionally reunite with the former members while playing as a guest alongside other bands like Blondie and Le Contortions.
Following his passing, former bandmates Bertei and Place shared their condolences, with the latter explaining: “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.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.