James Chance, the bandleader and singer-saxophonist of well-known punk-funk groups, including 'The Contortions' and 'Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,' died on Tuesday, June 18, in New York. He was 71.
According to his brother, David Siegfried, Chance passed away at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center in East Harlem from problems related to gastrointestinal disease after experiencing a decline in health for years.
Chance, born in Milwaukee in 1953, started playing in bands while attending a university in Michigan. He relocated to New York in the mid-70s when he was engaged in the punk and free jazz movements before joining Lydia Lunch to form 'Teenage Jesus and the Jerks' in 1976.
After a brief stint with 'Teenage Jesus,' Chance formed the jazz-funk-punk group 'The Contortions' in 1977, where he started experimenting with his signature sound. In later interviews, he explained that he wanted to bridge the gap between different New York scenes by fusing punk vocalizations, groovy rhythms, and his colorful, wild saxophone playing with an authentic overall sound.
'The Contortions' was prominently included in Brian Eno's well-known 1978 compilation album, 'No New York,' including 'Teenage Jesus.' They also became known for their loud live performances, which featured fights and physical altercations between the band and the crowd.
Following 'The Contortions' disbandment in 1979, Chance started 'James White and the Blacks' and acted in movies such as 'Downtown 81,' starring Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Rosa von Praunheim's 'Death Magazine: or How to Be a Flowerpot.'
Chance's productivity declined after the early '80s, and he underwent semi-retirement for some time. However, he worked with Blondie on their 'No Exit' album in the 1990s and returned to 'The Contortions' for a few live gigs in the 2000s.
In the past few years, he has occasionally performed in New York and released new music, including the 2016 Contortions album 'The Flesh is Weak.' He played saxophone for Franz Ferdinand on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2018.
According to the GoFundMe, launched by his brother, Chance's family still collects donations to help with burial expenses. Chance's virtual memorial will be announced at a later date.
