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Huey Lewis - Meniere's Disease


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I just saw an interesting article about Huey Lewis and his struggles with Meniere's Disease (here: https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a30783979/huey-lewis-weather-hearing-menieres-disease-interview/?utm_source=pocket-newtab).

 

As far as I knew, Huey Lewis had stopped playing music decades ago, but it turns out he was performing as recently as 2018. He has been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, and because of hearing problems has not performed since. He says he hears amplified music as distortion, and cannot work with a band. He apparently has a new album coming out, tho'.

 

The article describes him as eager to play again, but unable. That must suck.

 

 

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Not super relevant but my newest gigging band project is an established Huey Lewis tribute band based here on Long Island, my first gig with them is next month, a flyaway to a casino resort just outside Vegas (first time I've done something like that in a few years, very excited). Most of his hits I was covering in top 40 bands when they were first out, back in the 80's. Have always really admired the songwriting and recordmaking on irresistible power pop gems like "Do You Believe in Love," "I Want a New Drug," "If This is It," etc, Not super keyboard-heavy/challenging but a lot of fun to play nonetheless.

Rich Forman

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My old college band, always rebels as far as picking songs (why pick the popular ones! Just because everyone knows them, bah) covered Jacob's Ladder....I actually sang that one. Not sure I've heard that song since those days in '88 or so....
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Dizziness and thus nausea, take Dramamine. Lie down a lot.

 Find 660 of my jazz piano arrangements of standards for educational purposes and tutorials at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book."

 

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He's been gigging all alone. I've seen him a couple of times at Hampton Beach Casino in NH in the past 10 years. No more, I guess.

 

p.s. He's a prick in person. At least to fans.

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Really I didn't get that from him? He's been all over social media because of the 7 song album they made. The band has kind of stayed the same, Sean Hopper does some nice stuff on Hammond. The band was heavily involved with the the San Fran forty niners also.

 

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I have Meniere's disease. It's not as bad as Huey Lewis, but it may get worse, I get periods of dizziness that can last for days. I have hearing loss in one ear. I've had physical therapy for balance. I've had elaborate tests for inner ear problems, vertigo, etc. The dizziness usually goes away after a 10-day course of prednisone (steroid). Huey Lewis' Meniere's disease expresses itself in distorting everything so badly that he can't hear the music and therefore can't sing. I don't know if my Meniere's will get so bad that I have to quit playing. Hell, arthritis may make me stop before that happens. Getting old is not for wusses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9ni%C3%A8re%27s_disease

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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They were my hands-down favorite band in high school. While my tastes have evolved since then, I still have a big old soft spot for their music, will happily rock out to it on car trips, and always enjoy when it gets called on cover band gigs. (And yes, I will nail ALL those parts, and will let the rest of the band know if they're not playing their parts right.) My entire sense of when to speed up and slow down a Leslie came from Sean Hopper. In fact I was just recently checking out an old live clip of theirs where he plays a really tasty extended piano break, which then ended up informing something I recorded a few days later (starts at 22:40):

 

[video:youtube]

 

It's a real shame about Huey's condition. Hoping for the best for him, his family and the band.

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Josh the link doesn't work?

 

Fixed!

 

I remember they did that same bit when I saw them live a couple years before that clip was filmed: "Whole Lotta Lovin'" into the piano break (which BLEW MY MIND at the time), then into a cover of "The Boys Are Back In Town." Neither I nor the friends I went with had ever heard that song, so we didn't realize it was a cover; we thought it was a new song of theirs, and we loved it. We thought they were singing "The boys are back in time," and that it must be a song they wrote for the upcoming "Back to the Future" sequel. Ahh, youth...

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Not super relevant but my newest gigging band project is an established Huey Lewis tribute band based here on Long Island, my first gig with them is next month, a flyaway to a casino resort just outside Vegas (first time I've done something like that in a few years, very excited). Most of his hits I was covering in top 40 bands when they were first out, back in the 80's. Have always really admired the songwriting and recordmaking on irresistible power pop gems like "Do You Believe in Love," "I Want a New Drug," "If This is It," etc, Not super keyboard-heavy/challenging but a lot of fun to play nonetheless.

I always enjoyed playing the brass parts on 'Power of Love", and nailing the sax solo in 'Heart of Rock and Roll". They had some fun songs.

The fact there's a Highway To Hell and only a Stairway To Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers

 

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My wife and I saw him live at Wolftrap Farms in Virginia, in July 2016. He could not sing on pitch on any of the songs they played. It was awful. The band was really good, especially the lead guitarist, but the singing was atrocious. I would have left but my wife wanted to stay.

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I have a good friend who has Meniere's, and I have watched it gradually destroy his life over the course of 20 years. He was vibrant, inventive, and prolific, with a series of well-liked solo albums. He now has a basement full of gear he can't bring himself to play any more, is struggling with balance and hearing loss issues, and has effectively retired from music even though he hates the idea of giving up. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

 

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Surprised this hasn't come up on here before- I think it has. This was announced about two years ago so it's been heavily reported. Until this, he's never stopped touring- or doing shows since the 1980s. Surprised to hear not a cool guy always seemed like he would be.
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I have Meniere's disease. It's not as bad as Huey Lewis, but it may get worse, I get periods of dizziness that can last for days. I have hearing loss in one ear. I've had physical therapy for balance. I've had elaborate tests for inner ear problems, vertigo, etc. The dizziness usually goes away after a 10-day course of prednisone (steroid). Huey Lewis' Meniere's disease expresses itself in distorting everything so badly that he can't hear the music and therefore can't sing. I don't know if my Meniere's will get so bad that I have to quit playing. Hell, arthritis may make me stop before that happens. Getting old is not for wusses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9ni%C3%A8re%27s_disease

I have a good friend who has Meniere's, and I have watched it gradually destroy his life over the course of 20 years. He was vibrant, inventive, and prolific, with a series of well-liked solo albums. He now has a basement full of gear he can't bring himself to play any more, is struggling with balance and hearing loss issues, and has effectively retired from music even though he hates the idea of giving up. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Damn. I did not want to hear that. I don't expect to be playing in 20 years. Hell, I don't expect to be alive in 20 years. But I hope I can have a few more years to play music. I'd be grateful for 4 or 5.

 

I have friends who are good musicians but physically can't play any more. I wouldn't wish that on anyone either.

 

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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He's been gigging all alone. I've seen him a couple of times at Hampton Beach Casino in NH in the past 10 years. No more, I guess.

 

p.s. He's a prick in person. At least to fans.

 

Really?

 

I met him once a few years ago, as a fan, and he was as nice as could be. His entire interaction with people was just fine.

David

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Really?

 

I met him once a few years ago, as a fan, and he was as nice as could be. His entire interaction with people was just fine.

I've never met him, but I too have always heard that he is one of the "good guys" in the biz.

 

I confirm he is !

We shared stage for 2 days in 1991, shared same hotel and had a nice hangout after day #1.

Both shows were same venue,- so no need to travel next day.

Very sad reading he´s suffering from that disease and I hope there´s a chance to recover.

 

A.C.

 

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