Bruce Foxton, the former bassist of the Jam, has announced he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Acknowledging recent speculation about his health, Foxton posted on Facebook, explaining that complications from a previous cancer treatment “caused some significant issues” for him, ultimately leading to the Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Parkinson’s is a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years. The main symptoms include involuntary bodily tremors, slow movement, and stiff and inflexible muscles.
“I’m now facing a future living with Parkinson’s disease … and I’m determined to do that as well as I possibly can,” he added. “It’s taking a long time to let that sink in and for me to accept that my body and mind are dealing with something completely out of my control.”
Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Foxton founded the Jam and performed with the band from 1977 until their breakup in 1982, traversing themes of working-class hardship and contemporary politics. Some of Foxton’s most iconic basslines feature on the tracks Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, Going Underground, and A Town Called Malice.
In 1984, two years after the end of the Jam, Foxton released his debut solo album, Touch Sensitive. He later joined Stiff Little Fingers before reuniting with Buckler by joining his band From the Jam (formerly known as the Gift), who perform Jam material, currently with Russell Hastings in Paul Weller’s frontman role.
Foxton said his health issues made him realise in May 2025 that “touring with [From the Jam] was no longer an option for me”. Recently, he has been touring under his own name, “doing what I love and what I live for in a relaxed and supportive environment” enabled by “having the right meds to help deal with symptoms”.
Last weekend he had to cancel live shows due to a chest infection. “The brutal heat coupled with an underlying chest infection really knocked me for six, and the medical advice was to rest up while taking medication,” he wrote.
Foxton said he was still determined to “keep going and playing live for as long as I’m able to do it”.
• This article was amended on 1 and 2 July 2026. Touch Sensitive is Bruce Foxton’s debut solo album, not his only one, as previously stated. The text was also clarified to note that Foxton stepped back from touring with From the Jam in May 2025.
