EIGHTIES A-ha pin-up Morten Harket has Parkinson’s disease.
The Take On Me crooner, 65, said: “I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis.”
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The star added: “Part of me wanted to reveal it. Acknowledging the diagnosis wasn’t a problem for me; it’s my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me.
“I’m trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline.
“It’s a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects.
“There’s so much to weigh up when you’re emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.”
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain and affects communication between neurons in the brain and muscles.
Although the disease is not fatal, victims’ condition gradually worsens over time.
It is the most widespread – and the fastest-spreading – neurological condition in the world.
Last year Norway-based Morten underwent neurosurgical procedures in which electrodes were implanted deep inside both sides of his brain. The procedure meant many of his physical symptoms practically vanished.
He is still able to drive his boat – but is worried about being able to sing for much longer. And hits not yet released may never be heard by fans.
The star, whose hits included Scoundrel Days, Summer Moved On and Stay On These Roads, said: “The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future.”
He added: “I don’t feel like singing, and for me that’s a sign.
“I’m broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don’t expect to be able to achieve full technical control.
“The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand now, that’s out of the question. But I don’t know whether I’ll be able to manage it at some point in the future.”
Looking forward he bravely said: “I was always meant to do different things, but I’ve ended up with a fairly permanent position as singer in a band.
“When I say that my identity isn’t about being a singer, that’s my direct response. It comes straight from the heart.
“People associate me with it, naturally enough, and I realize that. I see singing as my responsibility, and at certain moments I think it’s absolutely fantastic that I get to do it.
“But I’ve got other passions too, I have other things that are just as big a part of me, that are just as necessary and true.”
The star told fans: “Don’t worry about me. Find out who you want to be – a process that can be new each and every day.
Everything you need to know about Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition, meaning that it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time.
It affects around 153,000 people in the UK.
People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of the chemical dopamine because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.
This can cause a range of more than 40 symptoms, but the three main ones are:
- Tremor (shaking)
- Slow movement
- Rigidity (muscle stiffness)
Other common signs include:
- Mild memory and thinking problems
- Trouble sleeping
- Issues with balance
- Pain
- Anxiety and depression
- Shuffling walk with very small steps
- Difficulty making facial expressions
- Loss of sense of smell
- Problems peeing
- Constipation
The four main ways of managing Parkinson’s include medication, staying active, exploring occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech and language therapy, and monitoring symptoms.
Source: Parkinson’s UK and NHS
“Be good servants of nature, the very basis of our existence, and care for the environment while it is still possible to do so. Spend your energy and effort addressing real problems, and know that I am being taken care of.
“For a few years now I’ve been working on songs that I’ve got great belief in, and I feel the lyrics, especially, have something of a different aspect of me in them.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to finish them for release. Time will tell if they make it.
“I really like the idea of just going for it, as a Parkinson’s patient and an artist, with something completely outside the box.
“It’s all up to me, I just have to get this out of the way first.”
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