Take on Me and Sun Always Shines on TV star said ‘I’m trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline’
A legendary 1980s heartthrob and a-ha member has revealed he has Parkinson’s Disease. Morten Harket who is 65, explained in a post on the band’s website that he is battling the condition.
The Take on Me and Sun Always Shines on TV star in a heartbreaking post admitted that he ‘doesn’t feel like singing’ and it is impacting his voice.
Morten who is a father of five and a grandfather 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’”.
He also revealed he’s been battling the disease for some time and had kept it to himself and close family and friends. He explained why: ““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. 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.”
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement, causing symptoms like tremor, slowness of movement, and muscle stiffness. It’s a degenerative condition where nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine begin to die off, leading to a decline in movement control.
Asked if he can still sing Morten said: “I don’t really know. I don’t feel like singing, and for me that’s a sign. I’m broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don’t expect to be able to achieve full technical control. 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.”
The actor Michael J. Fox is probably the most famous Parkinson’s patient. The star of the Back to the Future films has been open about living with the diagnosis he received in 1998; in 2000 he set up a foundation to promote research into the causes of and treatment for the disease.
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. 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.