Brian James and his wife, Minna Karoliina Robertson, attended the Killer Lords tour in 1986 in San Francisco.
The founding guitarist and early principal songwriter for UK punk pioneers, The Damned, Brian James, died on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 70.
Highlights
- Sadly, Brian James, an English punk rock guitarist who was best known for being a founding member of the Damned, passed away on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at 70.
- James married Minna Karoliina Robertson in 1983. They attended a festival in France where Lords of the New Church played.
- Brian James and Minna were blessed with a son named Charlie.
However, the exact cause of death has not been revealed.
Guitarist Adrian Portas paid a small tribute to Brian through his official Facebook handle. He wrote,
So, so sad to hear of the passing of the great Brian James. When I was 17 I basically wanted to be Brian. His playing combined the incendiary attack of stooges/dolls with the looseness of Keith Richards, always coming in from an angle that trad players had never even considered. To me, he was the greatest punk guitarist bar none.
Born in Hammersmith, London, England, in 1955, James was in his early twenties when he started playing in the proto-punk band London SS alongside future members of the Clash and Generation X.
James moved on to The Damned, writing almost all the material on their first two albums (Damned Damned Damned and Music for Pleasure) before leaving at the end of 1977.
Later, he co-founded and played in The Lords of the New Church with Stiv Bators. He reunited with The Damned for two shows at the London Town and Country Club UK in June 1988.
In 2012, he released a solo acoustic album, Chateau Brian, with former Lords of the New Church touring keyboard player Mark Taylor.
James reunited with Scabies, Sensible, and Vanian for five Damed Shows in the UK in October 2022.
Wife Minna Karoliina Robertson Is Mourning The Loss Of Her Husband, Brian James
Brian James, an English punk rock guitarist, married Minna Karoliina Robertson. The exact date of the marriage has not been revealed yet.
Brian and Minna celebrated New Year 2023 by sharing a photo of kissing each other on Instagram.
Happy New Year and bye bye 2022 and onwards and upwards 2023.
On September 25, 2024, they celebrated their 42 years of meeting anniversary. Minna posted a photo on her Instagram and captioned it,
Do you love me? Yeeesss, 42 year meeting anniversary today, pretty cool.
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In 1983, James and Minna attended a festival in France where Lords of the New Church played. Minna recently shared a glimpse of the festival on her Instagram handle with the caption,
My husband and I at a festival in France where Lords of the New Church played, I guess circa 1983…thank you to the photographer, not sure who took the shot
Sadly, their married life ended following the tragic death of Brian James in 2025.
Close friends and relatives have poured their heartfelt condolences and sent prayers to James’s family to stay strong in this heartbreaking moment. Rest in Peace, Brian James.
Brian James and Minna Robertson Were Blessed With One Son
After several years of marriage, Brian and Minna welcomed their son, Charlie James.
Charlie married Alicia James on February 15, 2019. Recently, Minna wished them a happy sixth anniversary on her Instagram handle.
Happy Anniversary to the 2 best people. Nice day for a …..very good day to get married. It’s 6 years! Time flies when you are in good company.
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On March 19, 2024, Charlie went to Las Vegas with Alicia and his mother, Minna, to celebrate their vacation.
However, Charlie has avoided social media and the media spotlight, so little about her personal life is known.
Charlie is mourning the loss of his supportive and devoted father, Brian James.
Additional Information
- In 2001, James recorded the album Mad for the Racket with MC5’s Wayne Kramer (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), Stewart Copeland and Clem Burke (drums) as Racketeers.
- James formed the short-lived Tanz der Youth with Andy Colqhoun on bass, Hawkind and Chicken Shack’s Alan Powell on drums, and Tony Moore on keyboards.
- From 1992 to 1996, James played guitar with the Brussels-based band Dripping Lips. In 1992, Scottish vocalist Robbie Kelman invited him to co-write the soundtrack for the film Abracadabra, directed by Harry Cleven.
