The Late Brian James Fulfilled His Dying Wish to Be Buried at Sea

Brian James’ Final Wish

Brian James, the guitarist and founder of the iconic British punk band The Damned, reportedly had his final wish fulfilled to be buried at sea.

James passed away on March 6 at the age of 70. While the cause of death remains undisclosed, it was noted that he “peacefully” departed with his family by his side, as indicated in a message on his official Facebook account.

Memorial Ceremony at Sea

According to The Sun, James was buried on April 28 on the ocean floor during a private ceremony held off the coast of Newhaven, East Sussex, England. His widow Minna, son Charlie, daughter-in-law Alisia, and nine close friends were present to honor him.

Minna expressed to the newspaper, “It was a wonderful day, and the sea was calm. We were together from the age of 18, so it was very emotional. The funeral at sea is quite unusual, but it was in his will, so we had to do it.”

The attendees traveled by boat for about three hours from Eastbourne, followed by a small memorial service at a church near James’s home in Brighton.

One source told The Sun: “Brian is now sleeping with the fish, just as he wished. He was truly original in life, and he maintained that spirit in death. He was determined to have his final resting place at sea, and many loved ones witnessed his coffin being gently placed into the water.”

Remembering Brian James

In March, Brian’s former bandmate Raymond “Captain Sensible” shared his shock over James’s passing, posting a photo of them together on Twitter: “We are shocked to hear that the creator of The Damned, our great champ Brian James, has unfortunately left us. A wonderful guy who was instrumental in my musical journey since we met all those years ago.”

We are shocked by hearing that the creator @TheDamned. Our great Cham Brian James, unfortunately, left. A wonderful guy who was so lucky for me that he met all these years ago, and for some reason decided to help in his search for a musical revolution, which became known as a punk. Hooray, BJ! 🌹 pic.twitter.com/huldymvi3z

– Captain Sensible (@CaptainSensible) March 7, 2025

Brian co-founded The Damned with vocalist Dave Vanian, bassist Raymond “Captain Sensible” Burns, and drummer Chris “Scabies” Millar in 1976.

The group released their debut single “New Rose” in October of the same year, followed by their first album “Damned Damned Damned”, which received an 8/10 review from NME. In November 1977, they released their next album “Music for Pleasure,” shortly after which Brian James left the band.

From 1992 to 1996, James performed with the group Dripping Lips in Brussels. In 2001, he collaborated with Wayne Kramer from MC5, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Stewart Copeland, and Clem Burke to form the supergroup The Racketeers, recording and releasing the album “Mad For The Racket.”