A-ha Singer Morten Harket Reveals Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis
A-ha's Morten Harket revealed Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which could impact the 'Take on Me' singer's powerful voice and 'creative future.'
Harket, who was quietly battling Parkinson's over the past few years, announced the diagnosis on the Norwegian new wave band's official website via a new interview with A-ha biographer Jan Omdahl.
More from Rolling Stone
A-ha Detail Evolution of 'Take On Me' in Documentary Clip
Tribeca to Premiere Films on Anthony Bourdain, A$AP Rocky, Rick James
A-ha Release Remastered 4K Version of Classic 'Take on Me' Video
'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. It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects.'
According to Omdahl, beginning in June 2024, Harket underwent a neurosurgical procedure called deep brain stimulation (DBS), where electrodes are implanted deep inside both sides of the brain. The procedure, 'among the most advanced treatments in neurology,' greatly reduced the physical toll of Parkinson's for Harket, combined with treatment from the NeuroClinic Norway that 'led to a dramatic improvement in his symptoms,' Omdahl wrote.
However, Harket's skyscraping vocals — as evidenced on the band's hits 'Take on Me' and 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' — remain impacted by the Parkinson's.
'The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future,' Harket said, adding, 'The voice problem comes especially when I take dopamine supplements. If I don't take dopamine, my voice settles down – but then the general underlying symptoms become more pronounced.'
'I don't feel like singing, and for me that's a sign. I'm broad-minded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control,' Harket continued. '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.'
A-ha last performed live in July 2022 on a world tour in support of their then-new album True North.
Despite the diagnosis, Harket stressed to fans, '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.'
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour 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.
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.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Addison Rae's Long-Awaited Debut Album ‘Addison' Is Here
Addison Rae's debut album Addison is here. With her first full-length project, she's also releasing the video for her latest single 'Times Like These.' Rae's Addison comes a year since she first began teasing new music. Last June, she posted a video of her underwater as the then-unreleased track 'Aquamarine' played over it. Lead single 'Diet Pepsi' was dropped in August, with 'Aquamarine' officially arriving a couple months later. Ahead of the album, she unveiled five total songs off the LP, all with their own videos. More from Rolling Stone Addison Rae Has a Taste for the Glamorous Life on 'Fame Is a Gun' Addison Rae Gets Ready to Reintroduce Herself in Debut Album Trailer Addison Rae Unveils Her Debut Album Track List Using a Rack of Undies 'Times Like These' is the latest in her stream of singles and arrives with a dance-heavy new video. The visual was directed by photographer Ethan James Green. Rae's debut album was written and produced by Rae with Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, both of whom are Max Martin's protégées. 'We were both shocked [that] her taste leaned very left and underground at times,' Kloser told Rolling Stone in Rae's cover story earlier this year. Addison arrives nearly four years after Rae first tried to make the jump from TikTok stardom to pop. She released her first single 'Obsessed' in 2021, which ended up not taking off as she hoped. She ended up scrapping her first EP, but after the songs leaked and generated buzz online, she put them out in 2023. Rae has since signed to Columbia Records. Before unveiling her solo songs, she further cemented more Main Pop Girl points by appearing on a remix of Charli XCX's 'Von Dutch.' She has performed the song live with XCX at a Brat release show in Los Angeles as well as the UK star's 2025 Coachella set. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
