Carly Simon, 83, Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis

Musician Carly Simon has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, she revealed in a statement shared on Instagram on July 27.

“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing,” said Simon, 83. “The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease.” She added, “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.”

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The singer-songwriter, best known for songs including “You’re So Vain,” “Anticipation” and the Grammy- and Oscar-winning “Let the River Run,” said she is still figuring out how to live with her condition and “how to accept it without feeling that I have surrendered something essential.”

Parkinson’s is a disorder where nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain become damaged or die. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease is progressive, meaning symptoms begin slowly and worsen over time. People with this brain disorder may experience tremors, slowed movements, muscle stiffness, trouble standing or maintaining balance, constipation and loss of smell.

Simon began noticing Parkinson’s symptoms after she had difficulty recovering from three replacement surgeries — both knees and one hip — from arthritis.

“I assumed my difficulty walking was simply an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process,” she said. “But my mobility continued to worsen.… Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help.”

Simon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after an evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, though it was unclear when she was diagnosed.

In her statement, she pointed out that Parkinson’s doesn’t just affect the body physically. It can also trigger anxiety, depression, exhaustion and apathy.

Parkinson’s affects more than 1 million people in the United States, and every year, nearly 90,000 people are diagnosed with the disease, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. The incidence of Parkinson’s disease increases with age; the average age of onset is 70. There is no cure, but there are ways to slow the progression and reduce the severity of symptoms. Doctors recommend doing various forms of exercise, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), dance, strength training and stretching.

Simon said she was also treated for basal skin carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. She said the cancer was removed from her face, but the surgery affected her appearance and made her feel more self-conscious about being seen in public.

Still, she has not stopped working or living, she said. She has been working on a new album, Comes in Waves, which is set to come out Aug. 14.

“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room,” she said. “It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”