Classic Rock Legend Dies After ‘Short Illness’: The Jam’s Rick Buckler Was 69

Rick Buckler, the drummer for the English rock band The Jam, has died. Buckler passed away “peacefully” surrounded by family in Woking, U.K. on Monday, Feb. 17 following an unspecified “short illness,” his family said in a statement, per the BBC. His passing comes just two weeks after he canceled a spoken-word tour due to “ongoing health issues.” He was 69.

The Jam was formed in 1972 in Woking, with the original lineup featuring Buckler on drums alongside bass player Bruce Foxton and lead singer and guitarist Paul Weller. After releasing their debut album In the City in 1977, the trio went on to become one of the most influential bands in the British punk rock and new wave movements, and charted 18 consecutive U.K. Top 40 singles, including “Town Called Malice,” “Going Underground,” and “Down in the Tube Station at Midnight.” Their song “That’s Entertainment” became one of the U.K.’s top import singles of all time, per Variety.

The Jam released a total of six albums – In the City (1977), This Is the Modern World (1977), All Mod Cons (1978), Setting Sons (1979), Sound Affects (1980), and The Gift (1982) – before the band split in 1982. Although The Jam never fully reunited, Buckler and Foxton went on to play together as part of the group From The Jam. Buckler also created the band Time UK with Jimmy Edwards, Ray Simone, Danny Kustow, and bassist Martin Gordon.

Paying tribute to his former bandmate, Foxton said: “I was shocked and devastated to hear the very sad news today. Rick was a good guy and a great drummer whose innovative drum patterns helped shape our songs. I’m glad we had the chance to work together as much as we did.”

Weller added in his own tribute: “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.”

Buckler who published his autobiography That’s Entertainment: My Life in the Jam in 2015, is survived by his wife, Lesley, and two children. His family remembered him as a “loving husband, father, and grandfather” who was “devoted to many” and will be “greatly missed.”