Tragic news has hit for one of the most prominent pop stars of the 1970s. Carly Simon revealed she’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and a type of skin cancer. In a statement to Billboard, she opened up about her “relative silence” and the health battles she’s been battling in private. Ultimately, she’s learning how to live with her diagnosis, which meant retreating from the spotlight for a while.
“The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease,” Carly Simon wrote. “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.”
Simon continued detailing some of the aches and pains that she dealt with due to the arthritis in her knees and hip. Once she replaced the joints, she figured any additional pain was just part of the process. However, after problems grew worse and she spoke with her doctor, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Carly Simon Candidly Opens Up About Battling Parkinson’s Disease
“There is no tidy or predictable schedule to the illness. It does not consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I am going to have. Parkinson’s is usually associated with movement, tremors, and balance, but it can affect much more than the body,” Carly Simon added.
“It can bring anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and apathy. The apathy is 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.”
Carly Simon is best known for her hit song “You’re So Vain”. Modern fans likely know the song for its inclusion in the hit rom-com How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Now, after years away battling her health diagnosis, Simon is returning with new music.
“That still feels mysterious to me. Music has always known when to arrive,” Carly Simon shared. “It has rescued me more times than I can count. It is like a cat or dog that quietly appears beside you when it senses you are not quite yourself. 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.”
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