Jack Lee—frontman of the 1970s power-pop trio the Nerves and the writer of Blondie’s colossal 1978 hit “Hanging on the Telephone”—died in Santa Monica, California, on May 26. Lee’s family and management team confirmed the news in a statement shared with Pitchfork, revealing that the musician had been living with colon cancer for three years. “He never gave up on his music, to the very end. His guitar, right by his side,” Lee’s family wrote. “He lived his songs. One by one they told the story of his life. Some dreams die. His never will.” Jack Lee was 71 years old.
Jack Lee was born in Alaska in 1952, but, by early adolescence, he felt the West Coast calling. At 15, he left home for Santa Monica, where he remained for a handful of years before hitchhiking to San Francisco at 19. In a strange twist of fate, a woman named Constance Williams gave him a lift to the city in her blue T-Bird—and later became his wife. Williams also encouraged Lee to write music and partially funded his recording of “Hanging on the Telephone.”
Settled in San Francisco, Lee busked in the high-traffic Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, where he met fellow street musician Peter Case. The Nerves were born in 1974 with Lee on vocals and guitar, Case on bass, and additional recruit Paul Collins on drums. The trio played sharp and scrappy rock’n’roll with Beatlemania melodies. Their frenetic style signaled the ensuing punk movement, but chafed with the fading flower-power of early ’70s San Francisco.
In 1976, the Nerves issued their self-titled debut EP, which Lee released through his own Maiden America imprint. The four-track record included the original version of “Hanging on the Telephone,” as well as “Give Me Some Time,” “When You Find Out,” and “Working Too Hard.” The former two tracks were penned by Lee.
On New Year’s Day, 1977, the Nerves moved down south to Los Angeles, the nucleus of a vibrant local punk scene. The band fit right in, booking shows in Hollywood with bills featuring acts like Germs, the Weirdos, and the Zeros. The following year, after playing locally and touring the United States, the Nerves broke up. But there was good news in store for Lee: Blondie singer Debbie Harry had heard “Hanging on the Telephone”—and wanted to record it.
Lee, who heard about Harry’s interest from his friend, the Gun Club singer Jeffrey Lee Pierce, recalled that fateful day in a 2007 interview with Mojo. “I remember the day vividly,” he said. “It was a Friday. They were going to cut off our electricity at six o’clock, the phone too.” He added that the song was so catchy, few could resist if. “Even people who hated me—and there were plenty—had to admit it was great,” he said.