Carly Simon, 83, reveals Parkinson's diagnosis; new album 'Comes in Waves' due August 14

The announcement

Carly Simon, the 83-year-old singer-songwriter behind 'You're So Vain' and 'Let the River Run', disclosed on Monday that she has been living with Parkinson's disease. The revelation came in an open letter shared with multiple outlets including the BBC and People magazine. Simon said her extended absence from public life had prompted a flood of letters from concerned fans.

“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.”

She described the illness as unpredictable, saying it had taken her considerable time to understand the diagnosis, adjust to it, and decide how much to share. She added she is still working to accept the condition without feeling she has surrendered something essential.

The path to diagnosis

Simon traced her health problems to arthritis in both knees and one hip, for which she underwent three joint replacement surgeries. When her mobility continued to worsen despite the surgeries, she and her family realised something else was at play. At times she could not stand from low chairs or walk without considerable assistance. An extensive evaluation at the Mayo Clinic produced the Parkinson's diagnosis.

The disease affects about one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide, according to the Parkinson's Foundation, and there is no cure. Simon confirmed she has begun treatment, including medication to help with stiffness and other symptoms.

“There is no tidy or predictable schedule to the illness. It does not consult my calendar before deciding what kind of day I am going to have.”

Living with two diagnoses

Around the same period, Simon was also treated for basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, on her face. The cancer was removed surgically, but the procedure affected her appearance. She wrote that this made her 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 described the apathy brought on by Parkinson's as one of the hardest symptoms to explain. She likened it to the part of the brain that sends invitations to participate in life having temporarily misplaced the guest list, and stressed it was neither simple sadness nor laziness.

Music as structure

Despite the physical and emotional toll, Simon has completed a new album titled Comes in Waves, her first collection of original songs since 2008. Recording sessions gave shape to days that did not always have much structure, she said. The album, set for release on August 14, features contributions from her children Ben and Sally Taylor and includes one of the final recordings by musician John Forté, who died in January 2026.

“I have not stopped living, and I have not stopped working. Music has always known when to arrive. It has rescued me more times than I can count.”

She described the record as containing songs and fragments that had been waiting for her, some for years, tucked away for a future moment when she would have the time and attention to finish them. That moment, she said, is now.