No Wave veteran James Chance dies at 71

James Chance, the New York City-based no wave, free jazz and punk funk musician and composer, died on Tuesday, June 18, at the age of 71, according to his official Facebook page.

The site’s administrators said the death was confirmed by his brother, David Siegfried. A cause of death was not given, but he said Chance’s health had been declining for some time and that his last performances were in 2019.

Chance, who was born in Wisconsin in 1958, moved to New York in 1975 and formed a quartet called Flaming Youth before joining Teenage Jesus And The Jerks with Lydia Lunch. In 1977 he formed the disco-punk band The Contortions, which released its debut on ZE Records in 1979. A similar line-up including Chance also recorded material under the name James White and the Blacks.