Guesting on The Classic Rock Podcast with host Tim Caple, founding/former Saxon guitarist, Graham Oliver (Oliver Dawson Saxon), has revealed that he’s just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. An excerpt from the interview follows...

Graham Oliver: "We did a fantastic two nights in Tokyo with Paul Quinn on guitar, a special guest, and that were all recorded for posterity. So one day I might be able to do something with that. And we've got a gig in Barnsley at Christmas at Birdwell, and Paul Quinn, we're going to do the Tokyo show, because we did a special setlist for Tokyo. And we're going to do it at Birdwell venue in Barnsley.

Tim Caple: "Brilliant."

Graham Oliver: "On the 30th of December. But I've just been diagnosed with Parkinson's sadly. So I'm battling that. So I'm..."

Tim Caple: "So how do you feel in your, I mean, it's never easy to get a diagnosis."

Graham Oliver: "I was shocked at first. I mean in '76 I cut my finger off and told I'd never play guitar again. When I was 59 I had a mini stroke and that paralyzed my left side and I thought I'd never play again. So I've overcome them so I've got another battle on my hands so I've done it three times. So it'll be the third time lucky. It's not going to beat me as yet so I'm just going to keep going till I can't."

Tim Caple: "Have you spoken to Ozzy? Because, I mean, obviously he was diagnosed with a variant of, and he's been, well, we know he's been hard at work in various forms of physical therapy, et cetera, et cetera, but seems to be getting on really well."

Graham Oliver: "Yeah, well I'm on medication and I went to Jam Night last week and I did a gig in Lancaster with Oliver's Army, which is the band that we're using now. And I did really well because before I had to concentrate on my left hand to make it work properly whereas it was a lot like all plain things that I hadn't played for a couple of years. Because I've had these complaints since lockdown and thought it was trap nerve-off. I didn't know what to put it down to. I just put it down to inactivity, bitter old age and arthritis or a trapped nerve. So, you know, so it's been slow."

Tim Caple: "Yeah, yeah."

Graham Oliver: "Hopefully medication is going to keep it under control."

Listen to The Classic Rock Podcast at theclassicrockpodcast.com/,, Spotify, Apple.