James Chance Dead at 71

James Chance, the lead singer and saxophonist of iconic punk-funk bands like the Contortions and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, passed away in New York after a long illness.

James Siegfried, later known as James Chance, was born in Milwaukee and learned piano at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. His unique style was influenced by Thelonious Monk and Albert Ayler. In the mid-1970s, he moved to New York City where he started James Chance and the Contortions after being inspired by Alan Vega’s Suicide. During this time, bands like Mars and DNA were also part of what became known as the no wave movement—a harsh contrast to popular bands from CBGB like Talking Heads and Blondie who were often on tour. In 1978, they contributed to Brian Eno’s compilation No New York.

Chance was famous for his wild performances which sometimes led to fights with the audience. Adele Bertei, his bandmate, described him as an “explosive personality” with a “strong masochistic streak.” These intense shows drew an art crowd because they felt more like performance art than just music.

Once in an interview with Quietus in 2010, Chance said his aggressive behavior on stage was a reaction against certain audiences who seemed too cool or detached to participate. He recalled one show where people sat on the floor instead of dancing; it frustrated him so much that he started pulling them up or even slapping them to get a reaction.

The Contortions’ music eventually crossed over into disco thanks to a Kid Creole remix of “Contort Yourself.” Later projects included Teenage Jesus and the Jerks with Lydia Lunch and James Chance and the White Blacks. According to Chance himself, there used to be clear divides between different music genres around CBGBs but he worked hard to mix things up. He believed many people in punk rock saw their music as exclusively for white audiences without any black influence—something he aimed to change.