Huey Lewis says music is no longer part of his life, eight years after losing his hearing to Meniere’s disease.
Lewis, 73, lost the hearing in his right ear in the 1990s. In 2018, his left ear also failed, forcing him to end his music career.
In a recent episode of the “Inside of You” podcast, Lewis spoke about how his life has changed and said he still hopes for medical or technological advances that could help him.
He described his first hearing loss by recalling advice from a doctor. “My dad was a doctor and he sent me to this famous ENT guy,” Lewis said. “He looked at it and said, ‘Well, get used to it!’ I said, ‘What do you mean, get used to it? I’m a musician; I’m a singer. I need my hearing!’ He says, ‘You only need one ear. Jimi Hendrix had one ear, Brian Wilson had one ear. I have one ear and I’m in a barbershop quartet!’”
Lewis said he worried about performing with hearing in only one ear, but his brain adjusted. “I was very apprehensive, and it was fine, because your brain moves everything to the middle,” he said. “So I existed on one ear for 25 years. And then my left ear bailed, and now I’m deaf, basically, without the technology.”
Lewis now uses a cochlear implant in his left ear and a hearing aid in his right. Both connect to his phone and computer. He said these devices have changed his life, but not for the better when it comes to music. “Music is not part of my life anymore. It’s a hard pill to swallow,” Lewis said.
He explained that speech and music sound distorted through the devices. “People sound like they took a hit of helium,” he said. “Sometimes I play [an album] because I know it so well. I can hear the beat and I know what’s going on, but I can’t enjoy it. Music used to be fun. Now I try so hard to get it, and it just ends up frustrating for me. I can’t feel the warmth.”
Lewis said he experienced depression after his diagnosis, especially during the first six months. He misses performing and seeing his bandmates, especially when he hears about their current work. “My bass player, John Pierce, is playing with Toto now, and they’re just killing it out there. I wish I could do that,” he said.
Lewis has found some comfort in fishing, which he discovered after losing his hearing. He said spending time in nature has been a positive change. “If I had hearing, I’d still be on the road, probably, and I don’t miss that. I miss doing a show once in a while, I miss the camaraderie, but I’ve fished so many great places and met all kinds of different people. So I’ve got to look at the positive,” he said.
Asked about future treatments, Lewis said there is little known about Meniere’s disease, but he hopes for improvements. He mentioned a possible new cochlear implant that would be fully internal, allowing users to swim and sleep without removing anything. “Right now, I have to take all my stuff out to sleep at night. So I’m deaf at night. If there’s a fire, I’m in trouble,” he said.