Huey Lewis said he’s “not going to give up” hope that he might be able to play and enjoy music again while discussing life with severe hearing loss in a new interview with People.
Lewis’ severe hearing loss surfaced in 2018, with the condition tied to a Ménière’s disease diagnosis he actually received 25 years ago. The condition also causes ringing and vertigo, with Lewis previously telling AARP Magazine that he’d been having vertigo attacks for much of his life. The total hearing loss he suffered, though, effectively put an end to his music career.
In his new interview, Lewis said he has a cochlear implant that allows him “to hear speech much better.” He also said he’s “kind of outgrown” the intense vertigo of Ménière’s. But the implant has not allowed him to hear or play music.
“The worst part is that means it’s bad enough not to be able to perform and sing and play, but it’s really bad not to even be able to enjoy music,” Lewis said.
The musician went on to call performing and recording “the best feeling in the world,” before admitting, “But I’m never going to get there. I mean, I might get to where I can try to, and I’m not going to give up. I’m going to try. But geez, that kind of fun, that kind of great ride. I doubt I’m ever going to see that … feel that again.”
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While losing his hearing left Lewis feeling “disconsolate,” he still called himself “a lucky guy” and spoke about how his kids help him stay positive. “My son, after a certain point, calls me up and says, ‘Pops, come on, we’re going to go fishing or something,’” Lewis said. “And yeah, it’s a reset. You have to rebalance and things, but it doesn’t mean that life is terrible … my life isn’t as good as it used to be, but it’s still a lot better than most.”
Despite not being able to hear or perform music, Lewis is still involved in several projects, including the Huey Lewis and the News jukebox musical, The Heart of Rock and Roll. The show briefly ran on Broadway, and Lewis said he’s hopeful they take the show to London and on tour across the U.S. in 2027. He’s also part of the efforts to locate the guitar Michael J. Fox played in Back to the Future, which has been missing since the late Eighties.
