Hearing loss has forced Huey Lewis to stop performing, but the star remains determined not to give up hope
Huey has revealed that he is unlikely to ever perform live or record music again, following his struggle with Ménière’s disease. The frontman of Huey Lewis and the News – most famous for their 1986 hit Hip to be Square – first experienced symptoms of the inner ear disorder in the late 1980s but lost his hearing almost completely during a 2018 show in Dallas.
Speaking in a recent interview with People magazine, Lewis, 74, described the moment he realised his hearing had gone. “There was literally a roaring tinnitus in my head,” he said. Unable to hear himself or his band over the ringing in his ears, he cancelled the tour immediately. Later he admitted the emotional impact of the diagnosis left him contemplating suicide.
A life without music
Despite undergoing surgery for a cochlear implant, Lewis says music no longer sounds as it once did. “I can’t hear music. I might get to where I can try to, and I’m not going to give up,” he said.”
His 2020 album Weather was recorded before the loss of his hearing, and he now believes it may be his last.
Living with Ménière’s disease
Ménière’s disease is a long-term condition caused by problems in the inner ear. Symptoms typically include sudden attacks of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss and a sensation of fullness in the ear. While some people manage their condition with dietary changes or medication, others, like Lewis, experience a progressive decline.
Kenny Hau, a clinical audiologist at Hearology®, said: “Ménière’s disease is a complex and unpredictable condition, which makes early diagnosis and professional management essential. While we can’t cure it, modern hearing technology and therapies can help reduce the impact of hearing loss and manage related symptoms like tinnitus and vertigo.”
Hope despite uncertainty
Lewis continues to speak candidly about the challenges of adapting to life without music. “It turns out you can get used to almost anything,” he said.
His story highlights not only the physical effects of Ménière’s disease but also the emotional and psychological toll of hearing loss.
References
- People interview – Read the exclusive interview with Huey Lewis
- NHS – Ménière’s disease – NHS guide to causes, symptoms and treatments of Ménières disease.
- National Institute on Deafness – Ménière’s disease – US-based, globally recognised source of information.
- Hearing Link – Ménière’s disease – UK resource for people affected by hearing loss.
