Joey Rimicci of Jughead's Revenge has passed away
Sadly, Joey Rimicci of Jughead's Revenge passed away on April 10. Rimicci had suffered a stroke and passed away at a hospital near his home. You can see the band's statement below.
Reggae icon Max Romeo has passed away
Sadly, reggae legend Max Romeo has passed away. Romeo was 80 and passed away due to heart complications in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, on Friday. As you know, Romeo is an incredibly important figure in Jamaican music, having recorded a number of hits in the '60s, before moving on to Roots reggae in the '70s. One of his most seminal works is War inna Babylon recorded with Lee Scratch Perry, which includes the song "Chase the devil." You can hear just some of Romeo's tunes below.
Dave Allen of Gang of Four has passed away
Sadly, Dave Allen of Gang of Four has passed away. He was 69 and had been suffering from dementia. Allen was a Gang of Four founder and was in the band from 1977-1981 and 2004-2008. After playing in Gang of Four's original run, Allen formed Shriekback. We send our condolences to Allen's family.
Clem Burke of Blondie has passed away
Sadly, legendary drummer Clem Burke has passed away. He was 70 and passed away after a battle with cancer. Burke was a founder of the band Blondie and also played with bands including Iggy Pop, Hugh Cornwell, Walter Lure, Ramones, the Melvins, and many more.
You can see Blondie's statement below. Punknews sends condolences to Burke's family.
Brian James of the Damned has passed away
Sadly, Brian James, founding member of The Damned has passed away. He was 70. He died at his home with his family present.
James' family issued a statement:
"GOODBYE TO A PIONEER & TRUE GENTLEMAN It is with great sadness that we announce the death of one of the true pioneers of music, guitarist, songwriter, and true gentleman, Brian James.
Founding member of The Damned, writer of the first ever UK punk single, New Rose, Brian was the principal songwriter of the band’s debut album, Damned Damned Damned, which was released in February 1977. Parting ways with the Damned following the release of their second album, the Nick Mason-produced Music for Pleasure, Brian created the short-lived Tanz Der Youth, before he formed The Lords of the New Church with his friend and fellow rocker Stiv Bators.
In a wave of excitement, headed by the twin powers of Brian James and Stiv Bators, three successful studio albums followed for The Lord of the New Church, spawning singles such as Open Your Eyes, Dance with Me, and Method to My Madness. Always looking for new challenges and keen to work with different musicians, over the years that followed, Brian formed The Dripping Lips and guested on different records, while creating the Brian James Gang and working on his solo albums.
Incessantly creative and a musical tour de force, over a career which spanned more than six decades, with his music also gracing film and television soundtracks, in addition to The Damned and The Lords of the New Church, Brian worked with a plethora of punk and rock ‘n’ roll’s finest, from Iggy Pop to Wayne Kramer, Stewart Copeland to Cheetah Chrome. Most recently, more than four decades after the release of the epoch-making New Rose, the original members of The Damned reformed for a series of very special and emotional UK shows in 2022.
With his wife Minna, son Charlie, and daughter-in-law Alicia by his side, Brian passed peacefully on Thursday 6 th March 2025.
David Johansen of New York Dolls has passed away
Sadly, David johansen of new York dolls has passed away. He was 75 and had been battling cancer for about a decade. Johansen was the last survivor of the original new York dolls and was one of the greatest singers ever. Rest in peace David
Rick Buckler of The Jam has passed away
Rick Buckler, the drummer for The Jam, has passed away. He passed away at age 69 after a short illness. Earlier this month Rick Buckler cancelled his upcoming spoken word tour due to health problems. Paul Weller released a statement on Instagram which reads,
I'm shocked and saddened by Rick's passing. I'm thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey! We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time.
My deepest sympathy to all family and friends”
In that same Instagram post Bruce Foxton also paid tribute to Rick saying,
I was shocked and devastated to hear the very sad news today. Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs. I'm glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did.
My thoughts are with Leslie and his family at this very difficult time."
Rick Buckler formed The Jam along with Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton in 1972. The band released six full-length albums before they broke up in 1982 with the last one being The Gift which was released that year. Rick Buckler also played in Time UK, Sharp, and The Gift along with running a studio in Islington where he worked on several albums including Bound for Glory by The Highliners and Tell ‘Em We’re Surfin’ by The Family Cat. Rick Buckler authored several books including 1994’s Our Story which was co-written with Bruce Foxton and That’s Entertainment: My Life in the Jam which was released in 2015. We send our condolences to Rick Buckler’s family, friends, and fans.
David Lynch has passed away
Sadly, film maker and musician David Lynch has passed away. Lynch's family issued a short statement: "It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, “Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.” It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way."
Punknews sends our condolences to Lynch's family, friends, and fans.
Marc Campbell of the Nails has passed away
Sadly, Marc Campbell of The Nails has passed away. Campbell, who fronted the Nails for the bands entire run (including their early stint under the name the ravers) passed away on his couch, at his home, while watching the TV with his wife. The passing was unexpected, but relatively quick.
Campbell arrived in Colorado from San Francisco in 1976, where he had been in a poetic duo Pits of Passion. While in Boulder, Campbell saw the University of Colorado bulletin board and noticed a card posted by student David Kaufman, who sought to form a reggae band. Thereafter, The Nails formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1976 as the Ravers. They released an initial EP under that name, which was a combination of early punk and Lou Reed/Deviants style post-hippie rock. The band caught notice of some A&R personal and signed to RCA, incorporating punk, new wave, dance and electronic music into their sound. The band moved to New York and released three albums. Their main hit was "88 Lines about 44 women", which perhaps unexpectedly, peaked at number 46 on the US dance chart in March 1985, thanks in part to regular play by KROQ. As you may know, a young Jello Biafra, (then Eric B), and Joseph Pope, roadied for the band for six months, including one gig, where the group opened for the Ramones. We send our condolences to Campbell's family, friends, and fans.
Bob “Slim” Dunlap, guitarist for The Replacements, has passed away
Bob “Slim” Dunlap, guitarist for The Replacements, has passed away. He was 73 years old and passed on December 18 at his home in Minnesota due to complications from the severe stroke he suffered in 2012. His family released a statement which was published in the Minnesota Star Tribune which reads,
“Bob passed at home today at 12:48 p.m. surrounded by family. We played him his ‘Live at the Turf Club (’Thank You Dancers!)’ CD, and he left us shortly after listening to his version of ‘Hillbilly Heaven’ — quite poignant. It was a natural decline over the past week. Overall it was due to complications from his stroke.”
Dunlap joined the Replacements in 1987 and played with them until 1991, playing on 1989’s Don’t Tell a Soul and 1990’s All Shook Down. He released his solo albums The Old New Me in 1993 and Times Like This in 1996 along with a live album called Thank You Dancers! in 2020 which was recorded at The Turf Club on April 27, 2002. We send our condolences to Slim Dunlap’s family, friends, and fans.