James Chance Dies at 71

(RepublicanDaily.org) – Renowned saxophone player and No Wave icon James Chance has passed away at the age of 71.

David Siegfried, Chance’s brother, confirmed the news of the music icon’s passing. In a statement posted on social media, Siegfried said that Chance had been suffering from an unspecified condition for years, but did not provide the specific disease. No official cause of death was given in the report. The last time Chance ostensibly performed at a major concert was in 2019, “in Utrecht, the Netherlands.”

The statement also indicated that Chance was admitted to the New York-based hospital, Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, which was where he died.

Born James Siegfried in Milwaukee, one of Chance’s first instruments was a piano, picking up on the skill at an early age, when he attended a Catholic elementary school. As he grew older, the more he gravitated towards the alto saxophone. Chance went on to study at Milwaukee’s Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and Michigan State University. But it was at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music where He developed his own style, incorporating elements from funk and punk, as well as jazz.

Chance then moved to New York as a young adult – in 1975 – which was roughly the time he adopted “James Chance” as his name. He later then went on to form the Teenage Jesus and the Jerks with singer Lydia Lunch just a year after. A year after that, Chance formed the Contortions. However, the group eventually failed and disbanded in 1979 but not before releasing their iconic singles, “Buy” and “Off-White.” The musician also played in bands such as the James Chance & the Sardonic Symphonics, Flaming Demonics, James Chance and Terminal City and James Chance and Les Contortions.

Chance was also known for his wild mood swings and temperamental attitude. He once figured in an incident where he reportedly stabbed himself in the chest with a broken bottle after the owner of a club refused to pay him for his work.