EIGHTIES A-ha pin-up Morten Harket has Parkinson’s disease.
The Take On Me crooner, 65, said: “I’ve got no problem accepting the diagnosis.”
The star added: “Part of me wanted to reveal it. 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.”
Parkinson’s disease is caused by the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain and affects communication between neurons in the brain and muscles.
Although the disease is not fatal, victims’ condition gradually worsens over time.
It is the most widespread – and the fastest-spreading – neurological condition in the world.
Last year Norway-based Morten underwent neurosurgical procedures in which electrodes were implanted deep inside both sides of his brain. The procedure meant many of his physical symptoms practically vanished.
He is still able to drive his boat – but is worried about being able to sing for much longer. And hits not yet released may never be heard by fans.
The star, whose hits included Scoundrel Days, Summer Moved On and Stay On These Roads, said: “The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future.”
He added: “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.”
Looking forward he bravely said: “I was always meant to do different things, but I’ve ended up with a fairly permanent position as singer in a band.
“When I say that my identity isn’t about being a singer, that’s my direct response. It comes straight from the heart.
“People associate me with it, naturally enough, and I realize that. I see singing as my responsibility, and at certain moments I think it’s absolutely fantastic that I get to do it.
“But I’ve got other passions too, I have other things that are just as big a part of me, that are just as necessary and true.”
The star told fans: “Don’t worry about me. Find out who you want to be – a process that can be new each and every day.
Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition, meaning that it causes problems in the brain and gets worse over time.
It affects around 153,000 people in the UK.
People with Parkinson’s don’t have enough of the chemical dopamine because some of the nerve cells that make it have stopped working.
This can cause a range of more than 40 symptoms, but the three main ones are:
Other common signs include:
The four main ways of managing Parkinson’s include medication, staying active, exploring occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech and language therapy, and monitoring symptoms.
Source: Parkinson’s UK and NHS
“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.
“For a few years now I’ve been working on songs that I’ve got great belief in, and I feel the lyrics, especially, have something of a different aspect of me in them.
“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to finish them for release. Time will tell if they make it.
“I really like the idea of just going for it, as a Parkinson’s patient and an artist, with something completely outside the box.
“It’s all up to me, I just have to get this out of the way first.”
A MAJOR airport will undergo a multi-billion-dollar update after receiving its first quarterly report on the much-needed updates.
The update will address the airport’s malfunctioning equipment and outdated infrastructure, with a focus on the central terminal, which is over 70 years old.
The Miami International Airport was named the US’s 10th busiest airport with over 52 million passengers traveling out of it in 2023, AirAdvisor reported.
The airport was ranked the second-largest in terms of international travelers.
The new quarterly report received by the Miami-Dade County Commission will help make the travel process a more seamless experience for those passing through.
“So this report basically…breaks it down into needs, improvements that we have to make, and also how they’re going to be addressed,” Ralph Cutie, Miami International Airport CEO, told local NBC affiliate WTVJ.
The 13-page report details what has been done and what’s left to be done to the major airport.
The County Commission quickly approved the first report, and Cutie says there has already been “tremendous progress” on the repair of elevators, escalators, and moving walkways.
“December of 2023, we were at about 85% operation, Christmas of 2024 we’re at 95% operational, that’s a significant improvement in operational capacity of our conveyance systems,” said Cutie.
He also noted that $681 million has already been invested in conveyance systems.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner J.C. Bermudez told the outlet that he’s “satisfied” with what has been done so far.
Bermudez said that the report represents a change in company culture.
“It was just an accumulation of many years of…just placing bandages and not saying we need to put some dollars and try to make this a better place,” Bermudez said.
Cutie hopes the public rests assured knowing that they are working to address every complaint passengers have had about the airport.
The airport’s central terminal will undergo the biggest update, with $750 million allocated for the project.
Construction on the terminal will begin in 2028 and is expected to end in 2031.
“So mechanical, electrical, plumbing, things behind the wall — all that will be addressed as part of the central terminal,” Cutie said.
“If you ask me what keeps me up at night is that — being able to continue to operate and keep our customers satisfied while at the same time improving, building and repairing.”
The updates will include:
The report comes six months after the airport announced a $9 billion transformation.
In December, the airport announced a multi-billion-dollar overhaul, which would help improve the customer experience.
“This project will include 19 contact gates with loading bridges connecting to aircraft, so passengers will no longer be exposed to elements like rain and wind,” Cutie previously told local CBS affiliate WFOR.
All plans for the proposed renovation are scheduled to be completed by 2034.