Legendary musicians, iconic actors, elite athletes,
and politicians are among the famous faces of Parkinson's disease. These are their stories.
Perhaps the most visible public face of Parkinson's is Michael J. Fox. He's of
course beloved for starring in the Back to the Future movies and on the sitcoms Family
Ties and Spin City. When Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's, he'd recently gotten married and
hadn't even yet turned 30. As he recalled during a CBS Mornings interview in 2021:
"We haven't cried about Parkinson's since. We've
just dealt with it and lived our lives. But we cried about it that first time."
Fox has continued to act for decades despite his diagnosis, on the likes of such TV shows
as Boston Legal and The Good Wife. He's since retired and occasionally has difficulty dealing
with everyday activities, some of which require a wheelchair. He's also written four books, and
he appreciates the time he gets to spend with his wife and children. And while his disease can be
debilitating, he doesn't let Parkinson's get him down, and he's even dubbed himself "Mr. Optimist."
One of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1984,
three years after he retired from the sport, although he'd been showing signs
of the disease as early as the late 1970s. A research study conducted
by Ali biographer Jonathan Eig revealed that he experienced speech discrepancies
between the ages of 26 and 39, a symptom that can be attributed to Parkinson's.
Unfortunately, Ali kept boxing even though he was experiencing some troubling issues with
his health. Traumatic brain injury is one of the things that can also lead to Parkinson's disease,
and the boxer certainly experienced his fair share of head shots during
his career. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 74 from septic shock.
In 2018, "Sweet Caroline" singer-songwriter Neil Diamond revealed his diagnosis of
Parkinson's. He then retired from touring but continued to perform occasionally.
In a 2020 interview with the Associated Press, he explained that he was feeling
pretty good and made sure to stay fit and take the proper medications. And while he
couldn't travel like he did in the past, he vowed to stay active. As he put it,
In 2020, the singer released the album Classic Diamonds,
which featured rearrangements of some of his hit songs. Fortunately for Diamond,
the disease hasn't affected his voice. He even told Parade magazine in 2021,
He believed that this was likely because he wasn't touring anymore
and thus overworking his voice. He also admitted that he tried
not to think about the emotional side effects of the diagnosis, as he noted,
Rock star Ozzy Osbourne was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2019, but he didn't let it
change his outlook on life. He's even continued to release new music. As he revealed during an
interview on Good Morning America, he fell after performing on New Year's Eve in 2019,
then had neck surgery and had to cope with some nerve issues. Since then,
he's discovered that Parkinson's can be very challenging to cope with,
as he can have good days coinciding with really bad ones.
"What do you want Ozzy's fans to know?"
"I just hope they hang out and are there for me, because I need them."
After surgery, Osbourne felt numb and his legs got cold. He decided to open up publicly about
his diagnosis because he was struggling to walk and didn't like to keep secrets from his fans.
His wife Sharon and his kids all rallied around him, and the family found themselves
closer than ever. Still, it's been a struggle for Osbourne, who didn't like to sit around
while he saw his family being productive. He still manages to keep active, as he,
Sharon, and his son Jack all star on the Travel Channel series The Osbournes Want To Believe.
In 2018, when he was 82 years old,
M*A*S*H star Alan Alda revealed that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three and
a half years earlier. His cheery attitude has kept him from wallowing in self-pity,
and he's remained busy in front of the camera. He decided to go public with the news because
he was afraid someone would spot the symptoms. As he put it during an appearance on CBS Mornings:
"It's probably only a matter of time before somebody does
a story about this from a sad point of view."
"So this is the-"
"But that's not where I am."
While promoting his new podcast, Alda noticed that his thumb was twitching a little,
which he feared people would notice. So rather than let someone else speculate
about his health, he decided to reveal the truth.
Alda is counteracting the disease by playing tennis and boxing several times a week. He
also marches to John Philip Sousa's music. The disease affects everyone a little differently,
which Alda realizes, as he experiences both his good days and his bad days.
"You know how I look at it? It's like a puzzle to be solved. What
do I have to adapt to, to carry on a normal life?"
Late actor Bob Hoskins is probably best known for playing Detective Eddie Valiant
in 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He started acting in the late '60s
and racked up plenty of stage and screen credits over the course of
his decades-long career, including such films as Mermaids and Super Mario Bros.
Hoskins also dealt with mental health issues, including depression and a nervous breakdown
after divorcing his first wife. And in 2012, it was revealed that he'd been diagnosed with
Parkinson's. His last on-screen role was a dwarf in that same year's Snow
White and the Huntsman. He then immediately retired from acting following his diagnosis,
and he stayed out of the public eye until his death two years later from pneumonia. He
remains beloved for playing tough guys while also being able to show off his softer side.
Maurice White was the co-lead singer of Earth, Wind & Fire,
the R&B band behind such iconic hits as "September," "Shining Star," and "Boogie
Wonderland." White began showing symptoms of Parkinson's disease in the 1980s,
and he revealed his diagnosis in 2000 during the group's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. He
managed to function for many years while living with the disease. He continued to
perform with his band until 1995, after which it became too difficult for him to tour.
White founded Earth, Wind & Fire in the late 1960s. Born in Memphis,
he attended the Chicago Conservancy, worked with blues musician Muddy Waters,
and played as a session drummer. He was also a producer and collaborated with
other musicians such as Barbara Streisand and Cher. White loved entertaining his fans,
and he also strove to inspire them, as he told the Associated Press in 2000,
White died in 2016 at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 74.
Singer Linda Rondstadt learned that she was dealing with a Parkinson's-like disease a little
while after she started having problems with her voice in 2000. She can no longer sing because
it requires repetitive motion, which she can't sustain. In 2009, she played her last show, which
took place in San Antonio, Texas. As she revealed to CNN in 2019, she had a tough time hearing part
of her voice nearly two decades earlier, and she initially believed that there was a problem
with her headphones. Then her voice started to seize up, and she knew that something was wrong.
Doctors initially diagnosed Rondstadt with Parkinson's,
but then a year later they determined she actually had progressive supranuclear palsy, which is
similar to Parkinson's and has no cure. Everyday activities have become difficult for Rondstadt,
including showering, brushing her teeth, and even eating. Still, she finds creative ways to
carry on, and in 2013 she released the memoir Simple Dreams, which chronicles her career.
"You know, I think I'm lucky. And I've had a good long life."
Scottish actor and comedian Billy Connolly discontinued his live performances in 2018,
five years after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. During his final live tour,
he would point out his symptoms to his fans prior to performing, presumably to make them comfortable
and ward off any awkwardness. He continued to entertain TV audiences through 2021, even though
it was becoming a struggle. During an interview with his wife Pamela Stephenson at the Edinburgh
TV Festival that August, during which he received a lifetime achievement award, he revealed,
Connolly also noted that because he was struggling with Parkinson's,
it was unclear how much longer he would continue to book TV shows. As he put it,
Over the course of his career, Connolly has appeared in such memorable movies as Brave,
Fido, and both Boondock Saints films.
Southern Baptist evangelist and minister Billy Graham started experiencing the
symptoms of Parkinson's in 1989 and revealed the news publicly three years
later. He managed to continue preaching for many years following his diagnosis,
even though he had problems walking and was experiencing mild tremors. It was also
difficult for him to write and navigate stairs. Despite his diagnosis, Graham was
committed to continue writing and participating in Christian crusades, albeit at a slower pace.
Graham started hosting revival gatherings in the 1940s and popularized evangelical Christianity.
Many American presidents of both major political parties leaned on him as a spiritual advisor over
the span of several decades. He also preached to millions of people in 185 countries.
In addition to Parkinson's, Graham also suffered from prostate cancer
and hydrocephalus. It's not uncommon for some people with Parkinson's to live long lives,
and Graham was no exception. He died in his sleep at the age of 99 in 2018.
"My time is limited
on this Earth, but I have tremendous hope in the fact I'll be in the future life."
Some public figures wait a while before deciding to publicly reveal a Parkinson's diagnosis, and
Reverend Jesse Jackson was one of them. He found out that he had the medical condition in 2015,
but he didn't reveal the news until 2017. The political and social activist was in denial
about the disease, which his father also had, but he eventually was forced to seek medical
help after noticing some of the telltale symptoms. As he revealed in a statement,
"Parkinson's kinda grows and diminishes you."
Jackson has since tried to remain positive about his condition, vowing to slow its progression
through physical therapy and other activities. As a minister, activist, and politician,
he's spent his life dedicated to fighting for justice and equality. One of the most prominent
ways he's done so is by founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a human and civil rights organization.
He wasn't the biggest name in basketball, but over the course of his 12 seasons, former NBA player
Brian Grant played alongside and against several legends of the game. After retiring, he wrote
about living with Parkinson's in his 2021 book Rebound: Soaring in the NBA, Battling Parkinson's,
and Finding What Really Matters. During his final year in the NBA, he collapsed while attempting
a layup. His gut told him that something was seriously wrong. Soon after, he mentioned to
a friend that he had an uncontrollable hand twitch. This friend was convinced
that Grant had Parkinson's, with a diagnosis from specialists confirming that suspicion.
Grant initially felt depressed about the situation and started self-medicating with
pills and alcohol. He also spent a lot of time by himself in his bedroom. But he managed to
pick himself up and is now an advocate for Parkinson's awareness. He's also head of
the Brian Grant Foundation, which focuses on helping people cope with the condition.