The last 18-months or so has felt like a deluge of prominent artists announcing their retirements from the road for one reason or another. Adding to that ever-growing list today is Huey Lewis, who issued a statement announcing the immediate cancellation of his entire upcoming tour because of near-total hearing loss.
As Lewis explained in a statement posted to Twitter, “Two and a half months ago, just before a show in Dallas, I lost most of my hearing. Although I can still hear a little, one on one, and on the phone, I can’t hear music well enough to sing. The lower frequencies distort violently making it impossible to find pitch.”
After receiving treatment from some of the best medical facilities in the world, Lewis’s doctors concluded that he’s afflicted with Meniere’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear. As a result, “The only prudent thing to do is to cancel all future shows,” he announced. Despite his diagnosis, Lewis ended his announcement on an upbeat note. “I’m going to concentrate on getting better,” he promised. “And hope that one day soon I’ll be able to perform again.”
Singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, who suffers from Meniere’s himself jumped in a short while after the news was posted to offer some words of encouragement. “Good sir, you hang in there,” Adams wrote. “Menieres is a tough ride at first. It’s confusing & hard to explain to others, as they cannot see it. BUT you will rise above it and be better than ever.”
You can read Lewis’ full statement below.
Huey Lewis and The News cancel all 2018 performances. See attached note from Huey. pic.twitter.com/FbWqDlGwnR
— Huey Lewis (@HueyLewisNews) April 13, 2018
