Carly Simon has opened up about her health after revealing she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and treated for skin cancer, explaining why she has largely withdrawn from public life in recent years.
The singer-songwriter, 83, shared the update in a candid interview with People published on July 27th, revealing that despite her diagnoses, she has not stopped living or working, even though every day now “looks a little different.” And fans will soon hear the results of that work, as her new album, Comes in Waves – her first collection of original music in 18 years – is due for release on August 14th.
The candid interview marks one of Simon’s most personal public updates in years, giving fans a clearer understanding of the health challenges that led her to step away from the spotlight while continuing to create new music.
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Carly Simon Opens Up About Her Parkinson's Diagnosis
The "You're So Vain" singer said her absence had not gone unnoticed by fans, explaining to the pub: "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."
"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," she continued, before explaining what Parkinson's has meant for her. "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," the "Anticipation" singer continued.
Simon, who shares daughter Sally, 52, and son Ben, 49, with her ex-husband, fellow musician James Taylor, 78, revealed that her health struggles initially began with arthritis and several joint replacement surgeries, but she continued to experience difficulty walking and moving.
She explained: "Eventually, there were periods when I could not walk without considerable help. 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."
While she has been taking medication for the disease, she admitted it continues to affect many aspects of her daily life. "Parkinson's is usually associated with movement, tremors, and balance, but it can affect much more than the body," she explained. "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."
Carly Simon Also Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis
The "Nobody Does it Better" hitmaker also revealed that she was treated for basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. She shared: "During this same period, I was also treated for basal cell carcinoma on my face. The cancer was removed, but the surgery affected my appearance and made me more self-conscious about being seen in public."
"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," Simon went on. "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. If a person is allowed to hibernate during both winter and summer, then I have become an all-season bear."
Simon has previously battled cancer, surviving breast cancer after being diagnosed in 1997. She also endured heartbreaking personal loss when her sisters, Joanna and Lucy Simon, both died from cancer just one day apart in 2022, only weeks before she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Carly Simon Says Music Has Helped Her Through Her Health Struggles
Despite her health struggles, Simon insisted: "But I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working." She continued: "I am still writing, singing, imagining, laughing, worrying, remembering, and occasionally getting trapped in an overstuffed chair."
Speaking of continuing to work, fans will soon hear Comes in Waves, Simon's first album of original material in 18 years. She said making music helped give shape to days "that did not always have much shape." She added: "It gave me somewhere to go without having to leave the room. It reminded me that illness can change your life without becoming the whole of your life."
Although Simon has remained largely out of the public eye in recent years, her latest interview offers fans a rare glimpse into the personal health challenges she has been facing behind the scenes. The two-time Grammy winner says she hopes sharing her experience will help others understand the realities of living with Parkinson's while showing that creativity and purpose can continue alongside illness.
