Huey Lewis, the 76-year-old frontman of Huey Lewis and the News, has shared that music is no longer a part of his life following his diagnosis with Meniere’s disease, which has left him “basically deaf.” The condition has made it impossible for him to enjoy the art form that once defined his career.
“I can’t hear music. Music is not part of my life anymore, which is a hard pill to swallow,” Lewis stated in a July 7 interview on the “Inside of You” podcast with Michael Rosenbaum. He explained that he has been unable to hear properly for over eight years. While a cochlear implant and hearing aid assist him in understanding speech, they distort musical pitch, rendering music unenjoyable.
Lewis, who publicly disclosed his Meniere’s diagnosis in 2021 after years of debilitating vertigo attacks, finds it difficult to disconnect from his past musical identity. “I got to say, ‘God, I wish, I’d like to do that, you know. It was a lot of fun,'” he admitted, referring to performing. He experiences pangs of longing, particularly when friends play gigs.
The singer also misses the simple act of sharing music at home. “I can’t enjoy music, like when I cook or I have people over for dinner, I always used to play them music and I have a great collection of old big band stuff and old New Orleans jazz and I can’t. I don’t play it at all anymore,” he said. He noted that while he can sometimes still play familiar songs and hear the beat, he cannot truly enjoy them.
Meniere’s disease is a condition characterized by fluid buildup in the inner ear, causing damage to some of the delicate structures in the inner ear. According to Harvard Health, common symptoms include vertigo, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, ringing, buzzing or other noises, as well as hearing loss. Lewis was diagnosed in the mid-1990s.
In the wake of his hearing loss, Lewis has found solace in nature and activities that do not require hearing. “I fish a lot, OK. I mean, I really do. And I love the fly fish and I love Mother Nature and I get out there by myself in a stream and I’m conducting nature with my fly rod and it’s just a wonderful thing. I love to do it and hearing [is] not required,” he shared.
He also reflected positively on how his condition has altered his life’s trajectory, preventing him from continuing extensive touring. “If I had hearing, I’d still be on the road, probably 75 to 100 shows. And I don’t miss that,” Lewis stated. While he misses the camaraderie of his bandmates and the touring lifestyle, he appreciates the extensive travel and diverse people he has encountered through his passion for fishing.
