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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Isobel Lewis

No Doubt star reveals Parkinson’s disease diagnosis: ‘It’s a struggle every day’

No Doubt musician Tom Dumont has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, the guitarist has announced ahead of the band’s reunion shows at The Sphere.

Dumont, 58, joined the Gwen Stefani-fronted ska punk band in 1988, performing with them from their time on the California college circuit with them through to Grammy-winning success and their 2024 reunion.

Ahead of the group – which in its current iterations consists of Stefani, Dumont, Tony Kanal and Adrian Young – taking over the Las Vegas Sphere in May, Dumont shared his news in a “personal update” video posted to Instagram on Saturday (11 April).

(Getty Images for Coachella)

The father-of-three explained that he had suffered “a number of symptoms” a few years ago, which led to him going to see his doctor and bein referred to a neurologist. “I did a whole bunch of tests, and I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease,” he explained.

Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease where the brain becomes progressively damaged over the years. Physical symptoms include involuntary shaking of body parts (tremor), as well as slowed movement and other mobility issues.

On living with the condition, Dumont explained: “It’s been a struggle. It’s a struggle every day.”

However, he clarified that the condition hadn’t impacted his ability to play guitar, the instrument he’d first picked up at the age of 12. “The good news is, I can still play music. I can still play guitar. I’ve been doing really well,” he said.

On stage with Stefani at Coachella in 2024 (Getty Images for Coachella)

The rocker explained that he’d been inspired to share his diagnosis after seeing other people talking about their own health issues on social media. “I think it helps erase some of the stigma and it raises awareness, obviously, and awareness is really important for prevention and for research,” he said.

The news prompted an outpouring of support from his bandmates and other musicians. “Love you beyond words my friend. Can’t wait to get on stage with you again,” commented the No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, while drummer Adrian Young echoed: “My friend, bandmate, and hero……I love you brother.”

His news comes ahead of No Doubt’s residency at the Sphere, a new state-of-the-art concert arena in Las Vegas, which kicks off next month. It comes off the back of a band reuniting on stage at Coachella in 2024, when Olivia Rodrigo joined the group on stage as a special guest.

Last October, No Doubt announced that they would be reuniting in May 2026 for a short-term residency at the state-of-the-art new venue in Las Vegas.

Dumont (far left) on stage with No Doubt at the 2003 Super Bowl (Getty Images)

The four-piece initially shared plays to perform for six shows, but the residency has now been extended twice, amounting to 18 nights across May and June. The first show at the Sphere will take place on 6 May.

In a statement sharing the news, Stefani said: “The opportunity to create a show at Sphere excites me in a new way. The venue is unique and modern and it opens up a whole new visual palette for us to be creative. Doing it with No Doubt feels like going back in time to relive our history, while also creating something new in a way we never could have imagined.”

Speaking about the tour in his video, Dumont explained that preparing to gig again over the last couple of months had been “very fun” and that he was “really excited about the shows”.

“Looking through old footage and looking at old photographs and relearning old songs and rehearsing and creating all the video stuff for the screens at the Sphere, it’s made me think about how grateful I am for the life I’ve gotten to lead as a musician all these years,” he said.

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