“I have dementia, but as a singer I’m busier than ever”

This article was originally published in the Metro, who have kindly let us repost it here. You can read the original article here. 

Staring at the blank puzzle in front of me, I let out a sigh of frustration.

I’d always been a bit of a cryptic crossword fanatic and for more than fifty years filling in those tiny boxes had always come easily to me. Not to mention that they were a great way to pass the time on many a tour.

But lately, I had found it harder and harder to complete a single one. And it wasn’t because the clues were getting more challenging either.

Around that time in late 2021, I’d begun having trouble with my memory.

It started subtly at first with the crosswords, but then I started forgetting people’s names – some of which were people I’d known for years.

‘This isn’t like you,’ my wife, Sue, said worriedly. And at her insistence I agreed to see a doctor to investigate what was going on.

After some initial talks I was then sent to have a PET scan – which can show how well parts of the body are working, rather than simply showing what they look like – of my brain.

I didn’t know it then, but my doctor was looking to see if there were any abnormalities in my brain, such as a build up of plaque, which could be causing my memory loss. Or, to be more precise, they were looking for possible signs of dementia.

I knew about this condition’s existence, of course. Dementia is the general term given for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that can interfere with daily life. And I do believe my dad, who had always been an extremely clever and well educated man, battled it in his 90s.

But back then, it wasn’t spoken about as widely as it is now, so we always just put his memory loss down to old age and never got an official diagnosis.

So I never had any real reason to suspect that this could possibly be what was affecting me. Yet, ultimately, it was.

‘You’ve got the beginnings of dementia,’ my doctor confirmed in January 2022.

I don’t want to talk about how I felt about receiving the diagnosis, so let’s just say, it wasn’t the news I was hoping for. All I really wanted was to find a way to live my life to the best of my ability and not let the condition define me.

I was, I am, the same man that I’ve always been – albeit one that could forget what he popped to the shops for now.

After being referred to a consultant, I was put on tablets immediately. While these wouldn’t cure the disease or stop it in its tracks, taking them would help to slow its progression. And I was also advised to keep as active in the music business as possible.

‘You’re very lucky to do the job you do,’ smiled my consultant. ‘Music is actually a form of therapy that we recommend to all our patients. So you’re in the best industry to battle this.’

According to research, music therapy can improve quality of life, reduce agitation and decrease the need for medication in 67% of people living with dementia.