Rock Drummer Dies of Liver Cancer: James Baker Was 71

James Baker, the drummer for Australia’s influential rock bands The Scientists, Hoodoo Gurus, The Dubrovniks, and Beasts of Bourbon, has passed away at the age of 71.

Baker passed away at home “around 7:30” on Monday evening, according to a statement issued to the press the following day. Baker had been battling liver cancer since 2014.

“It is with heavy heart that we say that James Baker, the King of the Perth Big Beat, the godfather of Perth Punk and Australia’s Garage Guru passed away around 7:30 last night at home in Perth,” the statement read.

Born in Perth in 1954, Baker ultimately became a major figure in the Australian punk and alternative scene, going on to play for The Victims, Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, The Dubrovniks, Legendary Stardust Cowboys, and The Eternal Teenagers, also leading The Groundbreakers. In 2007, Baker was inducted into the Aria Hall of Fame as part of Hoodoo Gurus.

“It was no secret that James had been suffering from terminal cancer for some time, but he did his best to hold it at bay,” it continued. Baker continued to perform live in spite of his health issues, which “enabled a final go round from the Victims” — the band he formed with fellow Hoodoo Gurus member Dave Faulkner in 1977 – as well as a new album from the Beasts of Bourbon, the band he co-founded in 1983.

Baker was also able to join the Gurus on stage in Perth back in December, and released his first solo 12″ record Born to Rock — his first solo release since 1985’s “Born to Be Punched”/”I Can’t Control Myself” — in May 2024. Baker also released a single with Australian Dom Mariani in January.

“With a CV that reads like a who’s who of Australian rock’n’roll greatness … James was also a genuine tastemaker and style influencer,” the statement continued. “He was a man who LOVED rock’n’roll, and who shared that love with everybody. And he was loved. He was so loved.”

Baker is survived by his wife Cathy, daughters Lorna and Faye, sister Barbara, and his unborn grandson, who “will be arriving on the scene in the next week or so,” the statement issued to media concluded.