Carly Simon, the singer famous for 1970s hits like "You’re So Vain," revealed on July 27, 2026, that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 83 [1, 2]. She shared the news after her recent public silence raised questions and explained she has been adjusting to the diagnosis with difficulty, describing variable symptom days [1]. "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," Simon said [3].
Simon’s health issues began after arthritis in both knees and one hip led to three joint replacement surgeries [1, 3, 2]. Initially, she believed her mobility problems were related to recovery from those surgeries [3, 2]. Her Parkinson’s diagnosis came after evaluation at the Mayo Clinic [1]. At the time, she was also treated for basal cell carcinoma on her face. She said the surgery affected her appearance and made her self-conscious: "I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine... this gave my inner critic quite a lot of new material," she remarked [1, 3, 2].
Simon described Parkinson’s-induced apathy as distinct from sadness or laziness. "It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list," she said [1]. Parkinson’s disease is a chronic neurological disorder causing tremors, stiffness, and movement difficulties and affects about 10 million people globally [1, 3, 2].
Despite her diagnosis, Simon finds music to be a sanctuary and a source of purpose during her illness [1, 3, 2]. She is working on a new album titled "Comes in Waves," her first original release in 18 years, scheduled for release on August 14, 2026 [1, 3, 2].
