Foxton said he is “determined to do that as well as I possibly can,” while acknowledging the emotional weight of the diagnosis.
“As anyone coping with this diagnosis will know it’s 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 said.
“I have to manage the challenges I now face physically and mentally on a daily basis, and some days are better than others.”
Fans responded in the comments with messages of support and well-wishes.
Recent cancellations led to health speculation
The announcement came days after Foxton cancelled a Kidderminster show on Friday and postponed the next night’s performance in Lincoln.
He said high temperatures had aggravated a chest infection, forcing the short-notice changes. The cancellations led to speculation about whether he had been hospitalised.
Foxton addressed the rumours in his statement, writing: “This latest knock back has brought about more speculation about my health, and that’s totally understandable.”
For an artist whose schedule has already been shaped by treatment, surgery, and the sheer unfairness of human bodies, the speculation was not exactly surprising. Still, Foxton chose to give fans the fuller picture himself.
What Parkinson’s disease means
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that damages parts of the brain over many years.
It is mainly linked to the loss of nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger that helps control smooth and purposeful movement.
Symptoms and progression vary widely from person to person. Foxton said he is now managing the condition both physically and mentally each day.
He plans to keep playing live
Foxton said he intends to “keep playing live for as long as I’m able to do it.”
He said performing still matters, not only for audiences but for his own health and sense of purpose.
“It’s good for me, my future health and hopefully good for all of you who still enjoy coming along to join with me, Mark, Craig, and Andy to enjoy those great songs,” he wrote.
“I will be working hard every day to give the best performance possible.”
Foxton stopped performing with From The Jam, the group he formed in 2007 with The Jam drummer Rick Buckler and new frontman Russell Hastings. He now performs with his All-Star band and has reduced his schedule in recent years.
He still has a series of UK concerts planned for later this year, including an appearance at the 100 Club in London next month.
The Jam’s legacy and recent losses
Foxton helped form The Jam alongside Paul Weller and Rick Buckler. The trio became one of the defining British bands of their era, with songs including “The Eton Rifles” and “Going Underground” reaching mod fans young and old.
Buckler died last year aged 69 after a short illness. After his death, Weller, who had previously been critical of From The Jam, spoke about regretting that he had not spoken to Buckler before he died.
“Rick’s passing was a real shock; it was a real… perspective-changing moment,” Weller told Far Out.
“Because even though we weren’t close and we hadn’t spoken for decades, nevertheless, we were intrinsically joined together and always will be, really, the three of us.”
Foxton’s own health challenges have been public for several years. In 2023, he found a cancerous lymph node and underwent immunotherapy. The following year, he had knee replacement surgery.
As he continued performing in 2025, some fans noticed he appeared to be struggling as his health problems took their toll. He later scaled back his commitments.
Foxton also wears custom hearing aids after hearing loss from 40 years on stage and has lived with tinnitus for years.
His latest statement makes clear that live music is still part of how he wants to face what comes next, even if the terms have changed.
