The Tremolo Diaries

Author: Justin Currie

A stark reflection on receiving a life-changing diagnosis of Parkinson's by Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie.

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Summary

A stark reflection on receiving a life-changing diagnosis of Parkinson's by Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie.

Description

As I leave the room I say, 'So, you're saying I have Parkinson's, but you can't confirm the diagnosis for a year. How do you know?'
'Relax your arms by your side,' he says, and my right hand gently trembles at my hip, as if it's remembering something tricky.
'Now lift your hands to shoulder height.'
The tremor stops.
'That's how.'

I decide I'm going to keep working, keep touring, keep playing despite the uneasy feeling that another man is growing inside me, slowly seizing the means of control. It's as if your own shadow has leapt from the ground and buried itself within you. He may share my name, but now we're combined it's a fight to find out who has the most valid claim.

While touring America in 2022, frontman and bassist of legendary Scottish rock band Del Amitri Justin Currie noticed that something wasn't right after developing a tremor in his right arm. Following a visit to a neurologist in Glasgow, he was told that he had early onset Parkinson's disease. But rather than surrendering to his diagnosis, Justin decided to get back on the road and continue touring.

The Tremolo Diaries chronicles what it is like for a jobbing musician to be told they have Parkinson's. It is divided into two parts, with the first half offering strikingly honest glimpses into Justin's life following his diagnosis through diary entries he kept on tour in the US, while the latter half traces Del Amitri's 2024 European tour with the band recording their eighth album.

This is a compellingly stark reflection on receiving a life-changing diagnosis. Through writing that is both beautifully frank and devastatingly wry, Justin explores what it is like to prepare for a future in which this cruel disease will ultimately take away his ability to play guitar and potentially even his voice.

About the Author

Justin Currie is the lead singer, bass player and principal songwriter in band Del Amitri, who formed in Glasgow in 1980. They have had six top-ten albums in the UK, including 2021's Fatal Mistakes, which made it into the top five, as well as fifteen top-forty singles. They have sold over 6 million albums worldwide.