Musicvein™

Leader of British super group Incognito, Jean-Paul Maunick aka Bluey, has opened up about his recent Parkinson’s diagnosis.

The guitarist, composer and producer who, formed acid-jazz band Incognito back in 1979, informed fans via newletter about his early diagnosis. “In 2023 I was diagnosed as having early Parkinson’s. Scared the hell out of me at first. Then I thought, why not me? I embraced the journey ahead. I believe that the universe chose me to have this, to be of service to other sufferers of this disease worldwide.”

In a career spanning four decades, Bluey has worked with a wealth of artists including; Mario Biondi, Chaka Khan, Omar, George Benson, Maxi Priest, Leon Ware, Lulu, Paul Weller, Stevie Wonder and many, many more. He’s released 24 albums with Incognito, his own solo projects and formed another group – the predominantly instrumental – Citrus Sun.

“I never chose a career in music for fame and gain accolades, but because music makes me happy, and I saw first hand how music had the power to heal and unite people.”

Bluey is among a few musician’s with Parkinson’s. Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire gave an interview in 2000 with Rolling Stone, saying he had been living with the diagnosis since 1992 but kept it quiet. He sadly died in 2016 at the age of 74. While last year, singer, Neil Diamond also spoke up about living with the disease at 82 and how he was coming to terms with it.

So what is Parkinson’s disease or PD? According to the Parkinson’s website, it’s a progressive neurological condition which causes problems in the brain and worsens over time.

There are around 153,000 people living with PD in the UK, the three main symptoms are tremors (shaking), slowless of movement and rigidity (muscle stiffness). Though there is no cure at the moment, treatments and therapies are available to help manage the condition. For more information visit Parkinsons UK.

The condition isn’t slowing Bluey down though, he’s recently released Incognito single ‘Into You’ taken from the album of the same name, and is playing a number of dates this year in the UK, Italy and Japan.