A-Ha Singer Morten Harket Confirms He Has Parkinson's Disease

Though Harket said he had “no problem accepting the diagnosis,” he's uncertain about whether he'll be able to perform live in the future.

Morten Harket, who for more than 40 years has been the frontman of the Grammy-nominated Norwegian pop trio a-ha, confirmed this week that he has Parkinson’s disease.

Harket, 65, made the announcement Wednesday by sharing an article written by music journalist and author Jan Omdahl on a-ha’s official website. In it, the singer-songwriter said he’d been experiencing vocal issues as a result of his condition, and admitted he was unsure about a return to the concert stage.

“The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future,” he said.

Though Harket said he had “no problem accepting the diagnosis,” he added, “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.”

A native of Kongsberg, Norway, Harket formed a-ha with keyboardist Magne Furuholmen and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy in 1982. Three years later, the band catapulted to international fame with their breakout smash, “Take On Me.” The song’s success was buoyed by its now-iconic music video, which combined live-action performance footage with pencil-sketch animation.