Music. Morten Harket, lead singer of the band A-ha, has Parkinson's disease.
The Norwegian singer, who achieved success with his band A-ha and their hit song Take on Me , revealed on Wednesday that he has Parkinson's disease.
Morten Harket, frontman of the Norwegian band A-ha, revealed on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, that he has Parkinson's disease. The 65-year-old, singer of the band that wrote the famous hit Take on Me , spoke about his illness in astatement , spotted by Elle .
“I have no problem accepting the diagnosis,” he confides. “Over time, I’ve adopted my 94-year-old father’s attitude about how the body gradually declines.” “Part of me wanted to reveal it,” he adds. “As I said, acknowledging the diagnosis wasn’t a problem for me. I’m trying my best to keep my entire system from deteriorating. It’s difficult to find a balance between taking the medication and managing its side effects.”
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Approximately 10 million people worldwide are affected by Parkinson's disease. It is a progressive, non-fatal but very disabling neurological disease that destroys certain neurons in the brain.
The A-ha group's statement said Morten Harket underwent two surgeries, in June 2024 and last December, to implant electrodes in his brain, connected to a small device that sends electrical impulses. Both operations "had the desired effect": "Many of his physical symptoms have virtually disappeared."
What's next for Morten Harket's career? "The problems with my voice are one of the many reasons for uncertainty about my creative future," he says. When his biographer asks if he can sing, the artist's answer is vague: "I don't really know. I don't have any desire to sing, and to me that's a sign. I'm broad-minded about what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve total technical control. The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. As things stand, that's out of the question. But I don't know if I'll be able to do that in the future."
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