Deacon Blue’s James Prime “seriously ill” in hospital as band vow to continue without him

Deacon Blue’s James ‘Jim’ Prime is said to be “seriously ill” in hospital ahead of the band’s upcoming tour.

The update on the health of the co-founder and keyboardist was shared by Deacon Blue on social media. Taking to X/Twitter, his bandmates Ricky Ross, Lorraine McIntosh, Dougie Vipond, Gregor Philp and Lewis Gordon explained to fans that he was in hospital.

“Dear friends, we wanted to share some news with you about our brother, Jim,” the statement began. “Unfortunately, he is seriously ill and undergoing care in hospital. We would like you to join us in wishing him well and to share your love with him.”

They went on to share how the health concerns come at a time when the band are gearing up to hit the road again, and confirmed that the dates will still go ahead as scheduled. This, however, means that Prime will have to sit out the gigs.

“We spoke to Jim yesterday about Deacon Blue’s plans for the rest of the year, and he encouraged us to continue with love in our hearts and with his full blessing that the shows go ahead, even if it means replacing the irreplaceable James Miller Prime for the time being,” they wrote.

“Together with Jim’s family, we want to thank all the nurses, doctors and ICU staff for their ongoing care, professionalism and compassion.”

A message about our brother, Jim. pic.twitter.com/VCjDwhZNHE

— Deacon Blue (@deaconbluemusic) June 11, 2025

At the time of writing, it is unclear why the 64-year-old artist has been hospitalised, and it is not known how severe the illness is.

Deacon Blue’s ‘The Great Western Road Trip’ is set to begin in September with a number of UK tour dates lined up. These begin with a slot at the Liverpool Arena on September 19, and will run up to October 11, where the tour ends with a show in Glasgow.

The 15 scheduled shows come in celebration of their album of the same name, which was shared in the spring. It marked four decades since they formed, and arrived as the follow-up to their 2021 album ‘Riding On The Tide of Love’.

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