Huey Lewis Opens Up About Near-Total Hearing Loss and the End of His Music Career

Huey Lewis has revealed that he is "basically deaf" after decades of living with Ménière's disease, a condition that has ultimately forced him to walk away from music entirely. The 76-year-old frontman of Huey Lewis and the News shared the update during a podcast interview, explaining that his hearing loss has become near-total.

"Music is not part of my life anymore."

culturedailynews.comHuey Lewis Says “Music Is Not Part of My Life Anymore” After Going Deaf

According to Consequence, Lewis first lost hearing in his right ear 35 years ago and has now lost hearing in his left ear as well, leaving him with almost no functional hearing for the past nine years. The musician described the change as "immeasurable," a stark assessment of how the progressive disease has reshaped his daily reality.

"An ENT specialist had told him early on to simply 'get used to it.'"

Lewis has lived with Ménière's disease for decades, and the condition has steadily eroded his ability to perform, record, and even engage with music as a listener. The singer's candid remarks put a human face on a chronic inner-ear disorder that affects balance and hearing, often with debilitating consequences for those in music professions.

The announcement closes a chapter for a band that dominated 1980s radio with hits like "The Power of Love" and "Hip to Be Square." Lewis's public acknowledgment of his near-total deafness underscores the personal toll of a condition that has no cure, leaving fans to appreciate his legacy through recordings rather than new performances.