The Jam bassist, Bruce Foxton, has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, following show cancellations and recent speculation about his health.
“It’s no secret that I’ve undergone treatment for cancer and am still having scans on a regular basis to keep an eye on that,” Foxton wrote on social media.
“However, what you don’t know is that the cancer treatment in itself caused some significant issues for me and investigations into all of that uncovered the fact that I’m now facing a future living with Parkinson’s Disease… and I’m determined to do that as well as I possibly can.”
Parkinson's Disease is a disorder of the nervous system that impacts movement and gets worse over time. Symptoms include problems with balance, uncontrollable shaking of the hands and fingers, and stiffness.
Foxton describes the diagnosis as “a huge shock” and 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.”
He says that he now has to face the mental and physical repercussions of the diagnosis daily and is taking the right medication in order to “carry on doing what I love and what I live for in a relaxed and supportive environment.”
While he’s been active for over 40 years, Foxton had to call off touring with From The Jam in May 2025 due to health issues, but is still touring under his own name, where the conditions are more under his control.
“With your help, I’m going to keep going and playing live for as long as I’m able to do it,” he concludes. “It’s good for me, my future health, and hopefully good for all of you.”
Back in 2023, Foxton spoke to Bass Player about writing with Paul Weller (and why the Beatles can't sue him for the Start! bassline).
