A-Ha frontman Morten Harket, has announced that he has Parkinson's disease.
The singer confirmed this news in a statement, where he explained that he wanted to be open with fans, having previously kept details on his health, "strictly private".
This statement which was posted on the band's website, said: “This isn’t the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is – Morten has Parkinson’s disease".
“I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I’ve taken to heart my 94-year-old father’s attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: ‘I use whatever works’,” Harket said.
“Part of me wanted to reveal it. Like I said, 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", he continued.
“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".
Elsewhere, Harket said that some of his symptoms have been "softened" after being treated at the Mayo Clinic in the US, where he underwent a “neurosurgical procedure in which electrodes were implanted deep inside the left side of his brain” in June last year.
“I don’t really know. 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", Harket added. “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".
Morten Harket also stated that he was touched that he was “going to get so many messages about what to do and how to deal with it all from well-meaning people”, but that he “needed to listen to the professionals I have available to me”.
“I won’t be able to process anything else,” he added. “Don’t worry about me. Find out who you want to be – a process that can be new each and every day. 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".
Parkinson's disease affects approximately 145,00 people in the UK, according to the NHS, with symptoms including slower-than-usual-movement, involuntary shaking, and stiffness in the muscles.
A number of household names have had Parkinson's disease, including Black Sabbath's Ozzy Osbourne, actor Michael J Fox and comedian Billy Connolly.
Back in 2020, A-Ha's 80s hit, 'Take On Me' reached one billion views on YouTube. More on this here.
