Carly Simon has revealed that she has Parkinson’s disease.
In a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, the “You’re So Vain” singer and Grammy winner said she has begun treatment for her stiffness and other symptoms as she learns to live with the degenerative disease. Learning to deal with the unpredictability of Parkinson’s, and even convey her experiences, has been among her challenges.
“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,” Simon added. But, despite her absence from public view in the last year, Simon still has fight in her, and a new album, Comes in Waves, set for a release.
“I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working,” she insisted. Recording her latest album was its own challenge. “That still feels mysterious to me. Music has always known when to arrive. It has rescued me more times that I can count. It is like a cat or dog that quietly appears beside you when it senses you are not quite yourself,” Simon says in her statement.
“The album includes songs and fragments of songs that had been waiting for me, some for years. There were melodies, verses, and ideas written down and tucked away for some unknown future when I would have the time and attention to finish them. Apparently, that future is now,” she adds.
