Carly Simon reveals Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer diagnoses
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Carly Simon has Parkinson’s disease and had surgery for basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.
“You’re so empty” singer said people magazine In a statement released on July 27, he explained why he has been staying away from the spotlight recently.
“It took me a while to understand the diagnosis, adjust to it, and decide how much I wanted to say publicly about it,” the 83-year-old told the press. “Parkinson’s is different for everyone and can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t move through the day at all. Other days it gives me a little more space to move, think, work, and just feel like myself.”
MICHAEL J. FOX SAID THAT EXPLAINING WITH PARKINSON WAS ‘HELL’ FOR HIS WIFE TRACY POLLAN
On July 27, 2026, Carly Simon told People magazine that she had Parkinson’s disease and had surgery for basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. “I didn’t stop living and I didn’t stop working,” she told the outlet. (Jack Mitchell/Getty Images)
“The problems started with arthritis in both knees and one hip,” the star shared. “I eventually replaced all three joints with old joints and fragile lumps of metal and plastic. After three replacement surgeries, I assumed my difficulty walking was just an unfortunate and rather ironic part of the healing process.”
According to Simon, his mobility continued to deteriorate. He tried to stand from “low chairs and deep sofas” without anyone offering to help. “Overstuffed furniture became my enemy,” he recalled. There were periods when he could not walk “without considerable assistance.”
Simon knew something was wrong.
WATCH: DEBORAH W. BROOKS PRAISES MICHAEL J. FOX FOR HIS ‘COURAGE’ TO LIVE OPENLY WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE
It wasn’t until a comprehensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic that Simon was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He soon began treatment to help manage stiffness and other symptoms.
“Parkinson’s is often associated with movement, tremors and balance, but it can affect much more than the body,” Simon explained.
“It can bring anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and apathy. Apathy is especially strange. You may find yourself like a starfish drying in the sun, your arms reaching out in all directions, even though nothing inside is telling you to get up, read, watch, write, sing, call someone, or do anything at all. It’s not just sadness or laziness. It’s as if the part of the brain that sends out invitations to join life has temporarily misplaced the guest list.”
Carly Simon performs at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival Opening Gala premiere of the movie “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives” at Radio City Music Hall on April 19, 2017 in New York City. (Clint Spaulding/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images)
During this period, Simon was treated for basal cell carcinoma on his face. While surgeons removed the skin cancer, the procedure left her self-conscious about her appearance and reluctant to be seen in public.
“I’ve always been more critical of my appearance than others might imagine (check out the irony of having written ‘You’re So Vain’), and this has given my inner critic quite a lot of new material,” Simon wrote.
“Between my mobility issues, Parkinson’s diagnosis, surgery, and the emotional impact of it all, retreating from the public eye was the most acceptable response,” Simon said. “If a person is allowed to hibernate in both winter and summer, then I am a bear living in all four seasons.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Recording artist Carly Simon stands for a portrait in New York City on June 18, 2008. He lives on Martha’s Vineyard. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Despite his personal difficulties, Simon emphasized that he “didn’t stop living, and I didn’t stop working.” He has been quietly working on a new album called “Comes in Waves”, stating that music has “saved me more times than I can count”.
“Working on music has always given shape to days that don’t quite take shape,” Simon said. “… It reminded me that illness can change your life without being your entire life.”
“I don’t see Parkinson’s as a gift or a blessing,” he said. “It’s neither. It’s hard, it’s frustrating, and sometimes it’s scary. I’m still learning how to live with it and accept it without feeling like I’m giving up something important. I still write, sing, dream, laugh, worry, remember, and occasionally get stuck in an overstuffed chair.”
Carly Simon and Tony Shanahan pose backstage at the 31st Annual Tibet House USA Benefit Concert and Gala at Carnegie Hall on March 3, 2018 in New York City. (Getty Images for Tibetan House)
“I am deeply grateful to my children, family, friends, caregivers, and medical professionals who have helped me through this process,” Simon said. “Their love and patience got me through the days when my own reserves weren’t enough. I wanted to share this now because so many people reached out to me with genuine concern. That concern touched me deeply, even though I didn’t know how to respond.”
“I move slower these days, I lean on others more than before, and I’ve learned to accept that every day will look a little different. But I’m still here.”
People reported that “Comes in Waves” is Simon’s first full-length album since 2008.
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Close friends Carly Simon and Jackie Onassis pose for a photo at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, on September 2, 1989. (Stephen Rose/Getty Images)
Simon, who lives on Martha’s Vineyard, made one of his last public appearances in 2019 when he visited SiriusXM Studios in New York City to promote his memoir, “Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie,” about his once-close bond with former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
People reported that Simon’s last public performance was at the 31st Annual Tibet House USA Benefit Concert and Gala at Carnegie Hall in March 2018.
Musician Carly Simon (center) and sisters Lucy Simon and Joanna Simon attend the National Academy of Popular Music’s 25th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City on June 1, 1994. (Ron Galella Collection via Ron Galella, Ltd./Getty Images)
Although Simon will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022, he did not attend the ceremony in Los Angeles. The incident comes weeks after sisters Joanna and Lucy Simon died of cancer within a day of each other. People noted that Simon was breast cancer-free after being diagnosed in 1997.
Olivia Rodrigo performs under a photo of Carly Simon during the 37th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on November 5, 2022 in Los Angeles. (AFP via Getty Images)
Parkinson’s disease is a nervous system disorder that affects movement, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms may include tremors, balance problems, stiffness, slow movements, and slurred speech. Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medications and, in some cases, surgery can help manage symptoms.
Michael J. Fox, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991, was one of the first high-profile figures to raise public awareness of the disease. The “Back to the Future” star later founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
CLICK TO REACH THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Christopher Lloyd (left) and Michael J. Fox (right) are seen here at the “Back to the Future” reunion panel. (Mike Coppola)
Simon rose to fame with his self-titled debut album in 1971. The Grammy winner is known for the 1972 hit “You’re So Vain” and the James Bond theme “Nobody Does It Better,” recorded for the 1977 film “The Spy Who Loved Me,” starring Roger Moore as 007.
