A-ha Frontman Morten Harket Reveals Parkinson's Diagnosis, Says He's Done ‘Treating It as a Secret'
After battling Parkinson's disease for some time in private, A-ha's Morten Harket is now sharing his diagnosis with the public.
By way of a letter written by the band's biographer, Jan Omdahl, the singer broke the news to fans that he has been receiving treatment for the neurological disorder 'in recent years,' undergoing surgeries last June and December to implant symptom-reducing electrodes on both sides of his brain. Harket also said that he'd been having conflicting feelings for quite some time about whether he should go public with his diagnosis.
More from Billboard
Marc Cohn Reveals Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis: 'This Is Just Another Passage'
Jessie J Reveals 'Early Breast Cancer' Diagnosis: 'Cancer Sucks in Any Form'
Big Thief Announce New Album, 'Double Infinity'
'Part of me wanted to reveal it,' he told Omdahl. '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. It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects.'
'It used to bother me to think about my sickness becoming public knowledge,' Harket added. 'In the long run, it bothers me more to have to protect something that is strictly a private matter by treating it as a secret.'
According to the Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's is a 'movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time,' often causing tremors and affecting the motor skills of patients. There is no cure for the degenerative disease, but medicines and surgery can help ease symptoms.
For Harket, both treatment paths have 'led to a dramatic improvement in his symptoms,' though he still faces regular exhaustion and strain. He also said that his singing abilities have been affected, but it's not of primary concern for him right now.
'I don't feel like singing, and for me that's a sign,' he told Omdahl. 'The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand now, that's out of the question … 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.'
Even so, the Norwegian singer has been working on new music throughout his journey with Parkinson's, revealing that he has 'great belief' in the material that's sprung out of this period in his life. 'I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish them for release,' Harket said. '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.'
He also added that — while appreciative of the concern fans will undoubtedly have for him as they learn of the news — he's already weary from the anticipation of all the messages of sympathy and unsolicited advice headed his way. 'Don't worry about me,' he said when asked what he wants listeners to know at this time. '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.'
Harket added, 'Spend your energy and effort addressing real problems, and know that I am being taken care of.'
Over the past couple of decades, cases of disability and death caused by Parkinson's have been 'rapidly spreading,' according to the World Health Organization. As of 2019, an estimated 8.5 million people had the disease, an ever-growing population that also includes stars such as Michael J. Fox, Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner's Mick Jones, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt and Marc Cohn, who have all been open about their diagnoses.
A-ha was one of the defining pop groups of the 1980s, landing three entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in the second half of the decade: 'The Sun Always Shines on T.V.,' 'Cry Wolf,' and No. 1 hit 'Take on Me.' The group is comprised of Harket and friends Magne Furuholmen and Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, who formed the group in Oslo in 1982.
Best of Billboard
Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1
Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits
H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
‘Duck Dynasty' star Miss Kay's health declines following husband Phil Robertson's death
Miss Kay Robertson, the beloved matriarch of the 'Duck Dynasty' clan, is facing a difficult chapter marked by grief and declining health. 'Kay is not in the best of health,' her son Willie told USA TODAY Network. 'We're trying to help her out as much as we can.' The 77-year-old was noticeably absent from the 'Duck Dynasty: The Revival' premiere party on June 1, hosted in Monroe, Louisiana. The news of Robertson's declining health comes after she endured the tragic loss of her husband. Phil Robertson died on May 25 after suffering from Alzheimer's. He was 79. 'Some of it is, she is just depressed,' Willie remarked. 'She lost her partner of 60 years.' Her son continued to share that Kay made appearances in early episodes of the 'Duck Dynasty' reboot. However, her declining health prevented her from filming and being featured in later episodes. Kay's health issues first came to light in April, when her son Jase Robertson shared on the podcast 'Unashamed with the Robertson Family' that she had suffered a fall and developed an infection that required hospitalization. Jase said, 'We were kind of dealing with the fact that maybe this is it.' Reps for the Robertsons did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 3 Miss Kay Robertson is 'not in the best of health' following the death of her husband. 'My mom is not doing great physically,' Jase said on the family podcast back in April. 'She has to have pretty much 24/7 professional healthcare.' Phil, at the time, said that their children's presence was helping her. 'But my dad [said] it's like, 'You're helping her morale.' She's helping his morale.' While their mother spent time in a health facility, Jase explained that family and friends had been visiting, with Kay's visitors dubbed 'Kay's Kingdom.' 3 The widow's husband, Phil Robertson, died on May 25th after suffering from Alzheimer's. Phil Robertson / Facebook Last month, Willie remembered his late father through faith and their final moments together. Willie, who starred in the hit A&E reality series for five years, from 2012 to 2017, took to social media to mourn the loss of his legendary father following his death. 'I remember Phil's many prayers on Memorial Day and all the times with my dad. I don't have enough words to tell of all of it, perhaps it will take months or years of remembering,' he wrote in part on Instagram. 'Most importantly, he taught me the value of sharing my faith with others. He was the Real Deal, the same on Sundays as Fridays. Most of our conversations were not about hunting or business, but about sharing the Gospel.' 3 The reality television star did not attend the 'Duck Dynasty: The Revival' premiere party on June 1. Art Streiber Phil, famous for launching the Duck Commander hunting company that became the focus of his A&E show, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in December 2024. His son concluded his heartfelt tribute and wrote, 'Phil, I love you and already miss you. Thank you for raising me the right way and teaching me the most important lesson to prepare me for the day you passed on. Not sure how people deal with loss without the Lord. We may be wrong about all this….but I doubt it! Sleep well Dad, can't wait to see you.' A&E announced earlier this year that the hit show would be revived eight years after it aired its final episode. 'Duck Dynasty: The Revival' focuses on Willie; his wife; their adult children, John Luke, Sadie, Will, Bella and Rebecca; and their grandchildren, according to a synopsis. The original 'Duck Dynasty' aired for 11 seasons from 2012-17. Per A&E, the show peaked at 11.8 million viewers.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New FDA-approved Alzheimer's blood test coming to Mayo Clinic
The Brief The FDA has approved the marketing of a new blood test by Fujirebio. The biomarker test measures the ratio of tau and amyloid proteins in the blood of a person with symptoms of cognitive decline to confirm the presence of Alzheimer's disease. Mayo Clinic will be one of 37 Alzheimer's clinics across the country to receive the new blood testing equipment starting at the end of June. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the marketing of a new tool to that can test a person's blood to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. The blood test is a groundbreaking development to confirm the disease in patients who are already experiencing cognitive decline. What we know The diagnostic tool, called Lumipulse, is manufactured by the world-wide medical research and development firm Fujirebio. The procedure, called the G pTau 217/β-Amyloid 1-42 Plasma Ratio in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) test, measures the presence of the amyloid and tau proteins in the brain that build the plaques leading to Alzheimer's disease. Fujirebio will now start distributing the diagnostic tests by the end of June to 37 Alzheimer's clinics across the United States including Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "I was very excited to get the news that there was an FDA approved test," said Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich, Ph.D. of Mayo Clinic who's been offering a version of the blood test for the past year in their laboratory. "It's just increasing the access to patients, and now many more laboratories will be able to offer this test." Dr. Algeciras-Schimnich says Mayo hopes will have the capacity to offer 1,000 to 5,000 blood tests a month with this new diagnostic protocol. What patients say Tim Sandry admits he's never had the best memory, but when he approached turning 67, he and his wife Ellen started noticing changes. "I wanted to find out what's going on here," recalled Sandry when he and his wife decided to see a neurologist. The doctor put him through a series of cognitive tests and determined he had what's called mild cognitive impairment which is a noticeable slowing of memory function. It wasn't long after his cognitive tests that a new diagnostic spinal tap was available to detect the presence of Alzheimer's disease. But it was invasive and painful. "In the morning they took the spinal fluid, and then I had to stay very still for the rest of the day. And then they sent me home, and I had an awful headache for the next three days," said Sandry of the hospital procedure. This new test would have saved him the pain and provided reliable results. "Oh, so much difference," said Sandry about the chance to have had a diagnostic blood test. "I mean, this blood test is going to shake things up dramatically I believe." Why you should care The faster a person experiencing cognitive decline can get a positive diagnosis for Alzheimer's the faster they can start taking one of two recently FDA approved drugs to slow the progression of the disease. Those drugs are Leqembi and Kisunla. "It makes it much quicker for those people to start treatment and to start looking at what options there are, whether it's clinical trials or medication," said Jenna Fink of the Alzheimer's Association Minnesota-North Dakota chapter. Sandry has been on a regimen of Leqembi since his own diagnosis and he believes it has dramatically slowed the disease in his own brain. "The sooner you get diagnosed, the quicker you can get on those drugs and the less damage this will do to your brain And the longer you will be able to function, cognitively," he said. Dig deeper The new blood test not only speeds up the diagnosis process, it also offers more accuracy. "The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is only about 70-75% accurate," said Mayo's Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich of the standard practice of cognitive testing and PET scans of the brain. Adding the blood biomarker test increases the accuracy of an Alzheimer's diagnosis to 90-95%. "So really, it is a significant improvement in the diagnosis for patients, which now can have an earlier answer for their symptoms," said Algeciras-Schmnich.' By the numbers As many as 101,900 Minnesotan over the age of 65 are living with Alzheimer's according to the 2025 facts and figures report from the Alzheimer's Association. That adds up to 10.7% of Minnesota adults over 65. Alzheimer's affects more than just the patients. For every patient, there are caregivers, many of them family members. When those numbers are added up, the Alzheimer's Association estimates there are 166,000 caregivers in Minnesota. Across the nation, 7.2 million Americans are living with the Alzheimer's, and 74% are over the age of 75.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Morten Harket, lead singer of a-ha, has Parkinson's disease
Morten Harket has revealed he has Parkinson's disease. The singer of a-ha, the band behind the 1985 hit and innovatively animated music video 'Take On Me,' shared the news during an interview with the group's biographer. 'I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis,' Harket said. '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, 65, explained why he wanted to share his diagnosis publicly. '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 said. '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.' According to Mayo Clinic, 'Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder of the nervous system that worsens over time.' Harket had 'advanced brain surgery' at the Mayo Clinic, which along with medication, 'have softened the impact of his symptoms,' the a-ha biographer, Jan Omdahl, wrote. 'In June 2024, Morten underwent a neurosurgical procedure in which electrodes were implanted deep inside the left side of his brain. These are connected to a small pacemaker-like device placed under the skin of the upper chest that sends electrical impulses through the electrodes into the brain,' Omdahl wrote. 'The method is called deep brain stimulation (DBS) and is among the most advanced treatments in neurology. The procedure had the desired effect: with the right electrical impulses now reaching Morten's brain, many of his physical symptoms practically vanished. In December 2024 he underwent a similar procedure on the right side of his brain, which was also successful.' Harket's voice, however, has been affected, he said. 'The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future,' Harket said.
