The Damned guitarist Brian James granted dying wish to be buried at sea

Posted On May 6, 2025May 6, 2025

Brian James, former guitarist with punk icons The Damned, has been buried at sea after including the request in his will.

James died on March 6th, 2025, and no cause of death has been revealed to the public. His life was celebrated in a memorial service in Brighton before his body was taken out to sea.

According to The Sun, nine members of James’ family and friends headed out on a boat that set sail from Eastbourne on April 28th and laid him to rest off the coast in Newhaven, East Sussex.

His widow, Minna, told the publication: “It was a beautiful day and the sea was calm. We’ve been together since I was 18, so it was very emotional. A burial at sea is pretty unusual, but it was in his will so we had to do it.”

Due to the rare nature of the burial, a local funeral firm had to make arrangements with the Marine Management Organisation ahead of the service. James’ family and friends were reportedly on the boat for around three hours as they said their goodbyes.

Announcing his death last month, his family wrote on Facebook: “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.”

They also described him as “incessantly creative and a musical tour de force, over a career which spanned more than six decades”.

Meanwhile, The Damned labelled James as a “visionary” and said he “meant so much to this band but we cannot finish without saying (and I’m sure anyone who met him would agree) what an absolute gent he was.”

James reunited with the other original members, Dave Vanian, Rat Scabies and Captain Sensible in 2022, marking the first time in over two decades that the original line-up had all performed together.

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