A-ha singer Morten Harket reveals he has Parkinson’s disease after ‘private’ diagnosis

Morten Harket, the frontman of A-ha, has Parkinson’s disease, the singer has announced.

On Wednesday (4 June), the Norwegian “Take On Me” band released a statement reading: “This isn’t the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson’s disease.”

In his own statement on the band’s official website, Harket, 65, said he originally kept the degenerative condition “strictly private”, but has now decided to tell fans.

He said: “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.’

“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.”

Harket said he is”trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline”, writing: “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.”

Harket’s symptoms have been “softened” thanks to development in treatment from the Mayo Clinic in the US.

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Harket, known for his falsetto vocal, shot to fame in the 1980s with synth pop trio A-ha’s international chart-topping song “Take On Me”, which was released in 1985.

It became a hit after its third time being released with assistance from an animated video, directed by Steve Barron, considered one of the most iconic of all time. Harket, who appeared on The Masked Singer UK in January 2021, has released 11 albums with A-ha, as well as six solo records.

The group’s other tracks include “Scoundrel Days”, “Summer Moved On” and “Stay On These Roads”.

The singer has six children – three with his former wife Camilla Malmquist Harket, whom he divorced in 1998, a daughter with former girlfriend Anne Mette Undlien and another daughter with Inez Andersson, with whom he is in a relationship.

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Parkinson’s disease is the world’s second most common neurodegenerative disorder, behind Alzheimer’s disease.

While it’s unknown exactly why people develop the condition, experts believe its a combination of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the damage of nerve cells in the brain, according to Parkinson’s UK.

Around 145,000 people in the UK are affected by the condition. According to the NHS, symptoms of Parkinson’s usually develop after the age of 50.

The main symptoms include involuntary shaking (otherwise known as tremors), movement that’s slower than usual and stiffness in the muscles.

Other symptoms may include difficulty balancing, nerve pain, incontinence, insomnia, excessive sweating, depression and anxiety.

High-profile individuals to have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s include former US president George HW Bush, Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.

While drug treatment may help to manage Parkinson’s symptoms, it cannot slow the progression of the disease.

The NHS explains that those living with Parkinson’s disease may also undergo physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and, in rare cases, brain surgery to treat the condition.

For more information about Parkinson’s disease, visit Parkinson’s UK.