R.I.P. Rick Buckler (The Jam)

We just heard that The Jam’s drummer, Rick Buckler, had passed away, after a brief illness, at the age of 69. His former bandmates Paul Weller and Bruce Foxton have each paid tribute.



Weller expressed his grief, “I’m shocked and saddened by Rick’s passing. I’m thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey! We went far beyond our dreams and what we made stands the test of time. My deepest sympathy to all family and friends – P.W x.”



After leaving The Jam, Buckler took a break from music, and didn’t return until late 2005 to form a band called The Gift (named after the final studio album release by the Jam) with Russell Hastings (lead vocals/guitar) and Dave Moore (bass guitar), with Buckler on drums… playing exclusive Jam’s back catalogue. They changed the name to From the Jam and after four long years of touring, Buckler quit the band. Without Paul Weller or Bruce Foxton’s involvement, he felt that the band had become a Jam cover band.



Buckler had penned six Jam books, including The Jam: Our Story (1994), That’s Entertainment: My Life in the Jam (2015), and The Start to ’77 (2017).

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