‘Take On Me’ singer Morten Harket reveals Parkinson’s diagnosis

Morten Harket, the unmistakable voice behind A-ha’s timeless hit Take On Me, has revealed he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The 65-year-old Norwegian singer shared the news with fans in a deeply personal statement published on the band’s official website.

Best known for his soaring vocal range and charismatic stage presence, Harket explained that he has undergone multiple brain surgeries in the past year, including a procedure to implant electrodes—an approach used to help manage the progression and symptoms of Parkinson’s.

The condition, which affects the brain’s nervous system, often causes tremors and rigidity. While treatments exist to ease symptoms, there is currently no cure.

“I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis. 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’,” Harket said.

“Part of me wanted to reveal it. 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.”

When asked whether he would be able to perform again, Harket was candid but uncertain.

“I don’t really know. 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,” he explained.

“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.”

Formed in 1982 by Harket and his friends Paul Waaktaar-Savoy and Magne Furuholmen, A-ha had a global breakthrough in 1985 with their debut album Hunting High and Low which yielded several hits such as Take On Me and The Sun Always Shines on TV.

-with Reuters.