Full Breakdown
Huey Lewis Says Music Is No Longer Part of His Life After Ménière’s-Related Deafness
7/11/2026, 8:06:42 AM
Core Event
On July 7, 2026, Huey Lewis, the 76-year-old frontman of Huey Lewis and the News, told host Michael Rosenbaum on the “Inside of You” podcast that Ménière’s disease has left him “basically deaf.” He explained that he can no longer hear music, describing the loss as “a hard pill to swallow.” The condition has forced him to abandon performing, singing, and even playing his personal music collection at home.
Background & Context
Lewis was first diagnosed with Ménière’s disease—a fluid-build-up disorder of the inner ear that can cause vertigo, tinnitus, and progressive hearing loss—in the mid-1990s after years of recurrent vertigo attacks. He publicly disclosed the diagnosis in 2021. The disease compelled Huey Lewis and the News to cancel touring in 2018, ending the band’s long-standing concert schedule. While a cochlear implant and hearing aid allow him to understand speech, Lewis says the devices “distort musical pitch,” preventing him from enjoying music as he once did.
Data & Statistics
- Age: 76 (born 1949)
- Diagnosis: Mid-1990s (?1995)
- Public revelation: 2021
- Duration of severe hearing loss: ~8.5 years (since roughly 2018)
- Touring cessation: 2018, after more than three decades on the road
Impact on Career and Daily Life
Lewis’s inability to hear music has reshaped both his professional identity and everyday routines. He no longer plays his extensive collection of big-band and New Orleans jazz recordings while cooking or entertaining guests. The loss also eliminates the possibility of future tours, which he estimates would have included “75 to 100 shows” had his hearing remained intact. The emotional toll is evident in his admission that “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.”
Official Statements & Responses
Lewis emphasized that the cochlear implant and hearing aid “help him understand speech” but “break sound into digital signals that distort pitch.” He noted that he can still “hear the beat” and follow conversations, yet without the devices he is “deaf.” In lieu of music, Lewis has turned to fly-fishing and nature immersion, activities that “don’t require hearing.” He expressed gratitude for the new experiences and relationships forged through fishing, while acknowledging lingering nostalgia for the camaraderie of his bandmates and the “circus-like” atmosphere of live performance.
Criticism & Opposition
No sources presented criticism of Lewis’s statements or of the medical management he described.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All five source chunks consistently report Lewis’s diagnosis timeline, the extent of his hearing loss, and his shift away from music. No contradictory figures or dates appear, and no external medical commentary was provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I can't hear music. Music is not part of my life anymore, which is a hard pill to swallow,” — Huey Lewis, Interview on *Inside of You*
- “But if I pull these things out, I'm deaf.” — Huey Lewis, Interview on *Inside of You*
- “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,” — Huey Lewis, Interview on *Inside of You*
- “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.” — Huey Lewis, Interview on *Inside of You*
- “I’m mildly dizzy all the time, and my hearing just went to zero.” — Huey Lewis, Interview on *Inside of You*
