Musician Carly Simon has revealed that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The singer-songwriter, known for hits including You're So Vain, Why, and Nobody Does It Better, shared that she has been living with the "sometimes frightening" condition.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder affecting the brain, nervous system, and muscle control. Common symptoms include stiffness, slowed movement, and balance issues. While there is no cure, treatment can help manage symptoms and restore quality of life. It is the fastest growing neurological condition worldwide, affecting over 10 million people globally, with about 153,000 in the UK.
Statement from Carly Simon
In a statement, Ms. Simon said: "So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease."
She continued: "It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly. Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself. But I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working."
Health journey and diagnosis
The singer said her health issues began with arthritis in both knees and one hip, and she was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s at a private clinic in the US after three replacement surgeries failed to improve her mobility. She explained: "I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm. Overstuffed furniture became my enemy. Once seated, I could feel as though I had been swallowed by the chair and might remain there permanently, like a guest who had badly overstayed her welcome."
She added: "Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help. My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's."
Treatment and effects
Ms. Simon said she has been receiving medication and treatment, and that the condition has come with episodes of anxiety, depression, and apathy. She described apathy as "particularly strange. You can find yourself lying there like a starfish drying in the sun, arms pointing in all directions, while nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do much of anything at all. That has been one of the hardest things to explain. It is not simply sadness or laziness. It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list."
In addition to the diagnosis, she said she underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth on her face, which affected her appearance and made her "more self-conscious about being seen in public." She noted: "I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written You're So Vain), and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material. Between my mobility issues, the Parkinson’s diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction. But I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working."
New album announced
Despite her health issues, the singer announced that her new album, Comes in Waves, will be released in August. She said: "I wanted to share this now because so many people have reached out with genuine concern. I am touched by that concern, even when I have not known how to respond. These days I move more slowly, I lean on others more than I once did, and I have learned to accept that every day will look a little different. But I am still very much here."
