A-ha singer Morten Harket diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease

It has been revealed that Morten Harket, the frontman with a-ha, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis,” he said in a statement on the band’s official website. “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’.”

The news, relayed by a-ha’s biographer Jan Omdahl (author of The Swing Of Things), had remained private with only a few people in his immediate circle aware of his condition.

“Part of me wanted to reveal it,” continues Morten in the statement. “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.”

Picture credit: Stian Andersen

Best Possible Care

Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain, and it affects areas of the midbrain that control movement and manage communication between neurons in the brain and muscles. Although the disease is not fatal, the patient’s condition gradually worsens over time.

Morten will have to live with Parkinson’s disease for the rest of his life, but medication and advanced brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the United States have softened the impact of his symptoms.

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.

“I Am Being Taken Care Of”

“The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future,” the singer says. “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.”

As the statement addresses, the news will undoubtedly result in many messages of support. However, Morten asks people to understand that this in itself is going to be a burden.

“I’m going to get so many messages about what to do and how to deal with it. Lots of suggestions for cures and whatnot, all from well-meaning people. I know there are many opinions and alternative theories, but I need to listen to the professionals I have available to me, who are taking care of this with me and for me, and who keep a close eye on developments in many areas of research taking place today. I won’t be able to process anything else.”

In a message to fans, Morten said: “Don’t worry about me. Find out who you want to be – a process that can be new each and every day. Be good servants of nature, the very basis of our existence, and care for the environment while it is still possible to do so. Spend your energy and effort addressing real problems, and know that I am being taken care of.”

Classic Pop would like to express its heartfelt best wishes to Morten as he manages his diagnosis.

Read the full statement here

Featured picture credit: Stian Andersen