Billy Connolly, 81, insists 'I'm not dead' with health update on Parkinson's battle

Comic Billy Connolly considers himself fortunate to a person lived to 81. This week, the Scot has released his latest book, The Accidental Artist, which explores his traumatic childhood, intoxicant addiction and Parkinson's battle

Sir Billy Connolly has insisted helium is "not dormant oregon broken" and is happily enjoying his status successful the US.

The Big Yin said helium feels fortunate to person lived to the property of 81 fixed the bonzer beingness helium has led and is present contented drafting and sportfishing adjacent to his location successful the Florida Keys.

In his caller publication The Accidental Artist, Connolly reflects connected however helium is fortunate to inactive beryllium present fixed his traumatic childhood, intoxicant addiction and his unsafe archetypal occupation arsenic a welder. He is suffering from Parkinson's illness but says helium could person contracted a worse unwellness from moving successful the hazardous Glasgow shipyards arsenic a young man.

In the book, Connolly writes: "I got diagnosed with Parkinson's illness and prostate crab the aforesaid week. I got treated for the crab and present I look to beryllium OK. The Parkinson's conscionable rumbles along, doing its thing. It bothered maine for a portion but erstwhile I deliberation astir it I accidental I'm fortunate I didn't get thing worse due to the fact that I was a welder.

"The diseases they speech astir present owed to welding weren't known astir erstwhile I was successful the shipyards. They didn't cognize astir the hazards of asbestos. And men were ever dying successful accidents too. I was successful an mishap myself. I fell disconnected the vessel into the Clyde, dropped 40 feet into 3 feet of h2o and broke my ankle."

He adds: "I'm a fortunate bugger. I survived a batch of s**t - overmuch of it brought connected by myself.

"I astir apt shouldn't person escaped but I did. Maybe what doesn't termination you f**ks you up for beingness but astatine slightest I'm inactive here. I'm sportfishing happily successful Florida and I'm not yet dormant oregon broken.

"I erstwhile ran into the Geordie writer Ian La Frenais successful Tramp nightclub successful London. I was wearing my leather jodhpurs and a leather jacket, pinkish socks and mules. He said, 'You cognize what you look like?' I said 'What?' He said 'A welder who got distant with it.'"

After retiring from stand-up Connolly has focused connected his caller vocation arsenic an creator aft helium took up drafting portion bored successful a edifice country successful Montreal. The book, which was published connected Thursday, features artworks helium has completed implicit the past 12 years on with stories from his beingness and career.

In the foreword, Connolly tells however his occurrence arsenic an creator has taken him wholly by surprise. Exhibitions of the Glaswegian's artworks person been held astatine galleries successful the UK and Australia. He writes: "I can't rather grip it erstwhile I spell to 1 of my exhibitions.

"I've met radical who cod my stuff, which is simply a superior compliment, but I inactive can't get my caput circular it. Maybe you shouldn't dwell connected that benignant of thing. I find it extraordinarily fantastic that radical privation to bargain my drawings. Biggest astonishment of my life."

Connolly was diagnosed with Parkinson's illness 12 years agone aft a doc spotted him walking strangely done the lobby of a edifice successful Los Angeles.

He moved to Florida from his erstwhile location successful New York aft doctors advised him to unrecorded successful a warmer climate.