Carly Simon Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis and New Album

Legendary singer-songwriter Carly Simon has revealed she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and was recently treated for skin cancer, sharing the health update in a personal statement provided to multiple news outlets on July 27. The 83-year-old musician, known for iconic hits including “You’re So Vain,” “Anticipation,” and “Nobody Does It Better,” opened up about her journey with the progressive neurological disorder, her decision to step back from the public eye, and the music that continues to sustain her.

Diagnosis and Health Journey

According to AP News, Simon’s health struggles began with arthritis in both knees and one hip, requiring three joint replacement surgeries. When her mobility continued to decline despite these procedures, she sought further evaluation. “My family and I knew that something more was going on. After an extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” she said.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder affecting movement, balance, and cognitive function. Approximately 1 million Americans and 10 million people worldwide are living with the condition, which has no cure but can be managed with medication and therapy.

“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I’ve been learning how to live with Parkinson’s disease,” Simon’s statement read, as reported by ABC News. “It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it, and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly.”

Simon described the unpredictable nature of the illness with characteristic candor. “Parkinson’s is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable. Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself.”

She also addressed apathy — a lesser-known symptom of the disease that she called “particularly strange.” “It is not simply sadness or laziness,” she said. “It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list.”

Skin Cancer Treatment

During the same period, Simon was treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face, a common and highly treatable form of skin cancer. The cancer was successfully removed through surgery, but the procedure altered her appearance and heightened her self-consciousness about being seen in public.

As The Guardian reported, Simon reflected on the irony of her situation: “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.”

“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,” she explained.

New Album: ‘Comes in Waves’

Despite her health challenges, Simon has completed her first album of original songs since 2008. Titled “Comes in Waves,” the record is set for release on August 14, 2026. The project has been a creative lifeline during a difficult period.

“Working on the music gave shape to days that did not always have much shape. It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room,” Simon told USA Today. “It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life.”

Music, she said, “has rescued me more times that I can count.”

A Career of Unmatched Distinction

Simon rose to fame with her 1971 self-titled debut album, winning the Grammy for Best New Artist. Her 1972 hit “You’re So Vain” spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the defining songs of the decade. In 1988, she made history as the first artist to win a Grammy, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe for a single song — “Let the River Run” from the film Working Girl. Over her career, she has amassed 24 Billboard Hot 100-charting singles, two Grammy Awards from 14 nominations, and inductions into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1994) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2022). Her last public performance was in March 2018.

A Candid Reflection on Life with Parkinson’s

Simon did not soften her experience. “I do not consider Parkinson’s a gift or a blessing. It is neither. It is difficult, frustrating, and sometimes frightening,” she said. “I am still learning how to live with it and how to accept it without feeling that I have surrendered something essential.”

She concluded with a note of resilience that has defined both her music and her life: “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. But I am still very much here.”