Carly Simon 'learning how to live' with Parkinson's disease as she shares heartbreaking health update
The 83-year-old singer best known for her hit 'You're So Vain' also disclosed she underwent surgery for skin cancer on her face.
Carly Simon has revealed she is "learning how to live" with Parkinson’s disease in a lengthy, heartbreaking health update.
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Parkinson's is a progressive disorder that affects the brain, nervous system, and muscle control.
The singer, best known for her hit “You’re So Vain,” described the condition as "difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening".
The 83-year-old Grammy winner also disclosed she underwent surgery for skin cancer on her face.
She explained her recent absence from the spotlight has been due to her ongoing health issues.
She said the problem began with arthritis in both knees and one hip, with all three joints eventually replaced.
"After three replacement surgeries, I assumed my difficulty walking was simply anunfortunate and rather ironic part of the recovery process."
But, she added her mobility continued to worsen."I had trouble standing up from low chairs and deep couches without someone offering me an arm. Overstuffed furniture became my enemy. Once seated, I could feel as though I had been swallowed by the chair and might remain there permanently, like a guest who had badly overstayed her welcome.”
She went on that after periods where she could not walk, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease after an extensive evaluation.
She explained the condition can bring anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and apathy.
"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. That has been one of the hardest things to explain. 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."
Ms Simon said that during the same period she was treated for a basal cell carcinoma on her face.
She said her cancer was removed, but the surgery affected her appearance and made her more self-conscious about being seen in public.
"I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine (check out the irony of having written "You're So Vain."), and this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material."
Ms Simon said amidst her myriad health issue she began recording a new album 'Comes in Waves'.
"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."
She explained that working on the music "gave shape to days" that did not always have much shape.
"It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life," she added.
She said she does not consider Parkinson's a gift or a blessing.
"It is neither. It is difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening. I am still learning how to live with it and how to accept it without feeling that I have surrendered something essential."
One of the most recognisable singer-songwriters of the 1970s, Simon was known for her vulnerable lyrics, piano-led pop anthems, and intimate themes.
