'Take on Me' singer and A-ha frontman diagnosed with Parkinson's at 65

Morten Harket, the singer for Norwegian band A-ha, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

The news was shared on the band’s official website, with Harket saying, "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’".

A-ha is best known to U.S. audiences for their 1985 international hit song “Take On Me,” accompanied by its famous music video which combined live action and animation.

In his statement on the site, Harket explained his decision to share the news.

“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,” he said. “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 a movement disorder of the nervous system that continues to worsen with time, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Harket said he’s undergone brain surgery twice at the Mayo Clinic, which “softened the impact” of his symptoms, thanks to electrodes implanted on the left side of his brain that help with electrical impulses.

But unfortunately his singing voice has been affected by the disease, and he said “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.”

Harket assured fans, “Don’t worry about me.”

“Find out who you want to be – a process that can be new each and every day,” he continued. “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.”