Bruce Foxton, guitarist for The Jam, reveals his Parkinson’s diagnosis | Jam

Bruce Foxton, former guitarist for The Jam, has announced that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Acknowledging the recent speculation about his health, Foxton posted on Facebook, explaining that complications from previous cancer treatment “caused some significant issues” for him, ultimately leading to a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

Parkinson’s disease is a condition in which parts of the brain become gradually damaged over many years. The main symptoms include involuntary physical tremors, slow movement, and stiff and inflexible muscles.

He added: “I now face a future life with Parkinson’s disease… and I am determined to do this as best I can.” “It takes a long time for me to internalize that and accept that my body and mind are dealing with something that is completely beyond my control.”

Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Foxton founded the Jam and performed with the band from 1977 until their breakup in 1982, addressing themes of working-class hardship and contemporary politics. Some of Foxton’s most iconic bass lines appear on the tracks Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, Going Underground, and A Town Called Malice.

In 1984, two years after the jam ended, 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 The Gift), performing Jam material with Russell Hastings as Weller’s frontman.

Foxton has stepped back from full-time membership in From the Jam. Last week, Foxton was supposed to perform with the band – which continued after Buckler’s death in 2025 – but was forced to cancel due to a chest injury.

“Excruciating heat combined with an underlying chest infection actually knocked me down for six years, and the medical advice was to rest while taking the medication,” he wrote.

After his diagnosis was announced, he said: “Having the right medications to help deal with my symptoms has given me another opportunity to continue doing what I love and what I live to do in a comfortable and supportive environment.”

“I will continue to play live as long as I am able to do so,” he wrote.