Carly Simon Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis

Carly Simon, the iconic “You’re So Vain” songwriter, explained her recent reticence to be a public figure in a statement to fans. The singer was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in addition to being treated for skin cancer, affecting her appearance. “Parkinson’s is usually associated with movement, tremors, and balance, but it can affect much more than the body,” she wrote, per People. “It can bring anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and apathy. The apathy is particularly strange. 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.”

Simon’s journey with Parkinson’s began after she was diagnosed with arthritis in both knees and in her hip. Though she had all three joints replaced, her mobility continued to worsen. Eventually, the Mayo Clinic diagnosed her. It was around this time that she was also treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face.  “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,” she wrote. “Between my mobility issues, the Parkinson’s diagnosis, the surgery, and the emotional effects of it all, withdrawing from public view was the most palatable reaction.” 

Simon is still writing music, though. “I began recording a new album, Comes in Waves,” she said. “That still feels mysterious to me. 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.” The record will be Simon’s first since 2008, and it comes out August 14. The first single, “Howl,” came out on June 12. “These days I move more slowly, I lean on others more than I once did, and I have learned to accept that every day will look a little different,” Simon ended the note. “But I am still very much here.”