Written by: Alex Green
Rick Buckler, the hard-hitting drummer of The Jam has died.
The Surrey-born Buckler was 69.
As of now, the cause of the musician’s death has not been disclosed, but in a statement his family wrote he had, “…passed away peacefully on Monday evening in Woking after a short illness with family by his side.”
They went on to describe him as a, “…loving husband, father and grandfather…devoted to many,” who will be “greatly missed.”
A man of many talents, Buckler was a musician, producer, manager and carpenter. He also authored several books on The Jam, including The Jam: Our Story and That’s Entertainment: My Life In The Jam.
Of his passing, Buckler’s former bandmate Paul Weller posted on social media: “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!”
Meanwhile bassist Bruce Foxton wrote: “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. My thoughts are with Leslie and his family at this very difficult time.”
The Jam existed from 1972-1982 and their muscular version of mod pop and sixties stomp powered classic albums like All Mod Cons and In The City.
The Jam had a winning streak of eighteen consecutive UK top 40 singles, with four of them hitting the top of the charts.
Circumspect about the music business, Buckler told Strange Brew in 2023 that musicians should familiarize themselves with the way things are run administratively in order to avoid the pitfalls that can derail a band..
“There’s certainly a good story to be told for people who are forming bands now, that a good piece of advice is to learn the business, to know what you’re entitled to. And to know about the royalties and the different sorts of royalties that come in from a band and to know the business. A lot of people learn their instrument and stagecraft. But to actually learn the music industry, and the business and the way it’s run, is, I think, just as important for somebody’s career to know how to. It’s almost like business school, I suppose, in a way. So maybe there’s a tale to be told there that people coming into the industry should learn a lot about the industry as well as learning their own instrument.”
Buckler is survived by his wife and two children.
