“You’re So Vain” singer Carly Simon has revealed that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“So many people have written to me and wondered about my relative silence, asking how I was doing and what I was doing,” the 83-year-old said in a statement to Page Six on Monday.
“The truth is, I’ve learned how to live with Parkinson’s disease,” Simon added.
“It took me some time to understand the diagnosis, adjust to it, and decide how much I wanted to say publicly about it,” Simon explained.
“Parkinson’s disease is different for everyone and can be unpredictable,” she said. “There are days when I’m so tired that I can’t move through the day at all. Other days, it gives me a little more space to move, think, work, and be myself.”
Simon said his health problems started with arthritis in his knees and hips, and he has since had three joint replacement surgeries.
However, during his recovery Simon began having problems with his motor skills.
“I had difficulty getting up from a low chair or a deep couch without someone giving me an arm,” she explained, adding that there were eventually points where she was unable to walk without “considerable help.”
The two-time Grammy Award winner was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after undergoing “extensive testing” at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Simon said her treatment included medication to relieve stiffness and other symptoms.
“There is no set or predictable schedule with this disease. I don’t consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I’m going to have,” she said.
Simon also revealed that he had facial surgery for basal cell carcinoma, which he said made him more concerned about his appearance.
“Given my movement disorders, my Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, my surgery, and the emotional impact of it all, withdrawing from public life was the most comfortable response,” she said.
Simon added: “I don’t see Parkinson’s as a gift or a blessing. It’s neither. It’s difficult, frustrating and sometimes scary. I’m still learning how to live with it and accept it without feeling like I’m giving up something important.”
Despite his health issues, Simon confirmed that his new album, Comes in Waves, will be released on August 14th.
“Working on music gave shape to my normally intangible days. It gave me a place to go without leaving my room,” she said. “It was a reminder that even though illness doesn’t have to be your whole life, it can change your life.”
At the end of his statement, Simon admitted that he now “moves more slowly than before” and “relies on others more than before.”
“I’ve learned to accept that every day looks a little different,” she continued. “But I’m still here.”
Simon rose to fame in the early 1970s with his self-titled debut album, which won him a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Some of her most famous songs include “You’re So Vain,” “The Right Thing to Do,” “Haven’t Got Time for the Pain,” “Anticipation,” and “Nobody Does It Better,” which she recorded for the 1977 James Bond film “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Simon has two children, daughter Sally (52) and son Ben (49), with her first ex-husband, music legend James Taylor.
Her second marriage was to writer and businessman James Hurt. They divorced in 2007.
