“It is as though the part of the brain that sends out invitations to participate in life has temporarily misplaced the guest list”: Carly Simon opens up about her battles with Parkinson’s, depression and apathy

Carly Simon performs onstage during the 2016 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons honoring Irving Azoff at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 14, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California.

Carly Simon has been out of the spotlight for some time – in fact, she hasn’t released a studio album for 17 years. But yesterday, she revealed one of the reasons for that long silence – she’s been battling Parkinson’s Disease.

The singer songwriter – who turned 83 last month – has opened up about her health issues and what they have meant for her at a practical level in a lengthy Instagram post: “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.