Paul Simon reveals he has lost most of his hearing

[Ivan May]

The Grammy-winning singer, 81, said the hearing loss may cause him to step away from touring

Paul Simon revealed that he's lost most of the hearing in his left ear.

The Grammy-winning singer, 81, shared the news during an interview with The Times, explaining that he's not sure of the cause.

"Quite suddenly I lost most of the hearing in my left ear, and nobody has an explanation for it," he told the outlet. "So everything became more difficult. My reaction to that was frustration and annoyance; not quite anger yet, because I thought it would pass, it would repair itself."

Simon said he lost his hearing while working on his new album, Seven Psalms, which dropped last week. Despite the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician assuming his hearing would repair itself, it hasn’t. Now, he said the hearing loss will likely impact his concerts, allowing him to step away from performing songs he's not a fan of.

"The songs of mine that I don't want to sing live, I don't sing them," he said. "Sometimes there are songs that I like and then at a certain point in a tour, I’ll say, 'What the f— are you doing, Paul?' Quite often that would come during 'You Can Call Me Al.' I'd think, 'What are you doing? You're like a Paul Simon cover band. You should get off the road, go home.'"

RELATED: 1 Billion Young People at Risk of Hearing Loss Through Listening to Music Too Loudly

 

Simon admitted that he may not be able to go on tour again, thinking about the reality of aging and noting the recent deaths of fellow musicians Gordon Lightfoot and Jeff Beck.

"My generation's time is up," the "Graceland" singer told the outlet.

However, Simon said he’s doing well and is not ready to go just yet, regardless of his hearing loss and recovery from a bad case of COVID.

"Boy, have I been beaten up in these last couple of years," he added. "But I look good, right?"

 

I am really sorry to hear about Paul Simon's hearing loss, but it does happen to a lot of good aging rock stars.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I am really sorry to hear about Paul Simon's hearing loss, too. Still, he's had a VERY long, VERY GOOD run of it- and I'd bet that he reflects and feels that way about it, himself.

[Larryz]

I'll bet he keeps playing that Martin at home and writing music.  It gets tough touring at his age and hearing loss comes with getting older for many.  Wishing all the best wishes for Paul Simon, as he is one of the best singer songwriters of our time...😎

[desertbluesman]

We shall see what Paul Simon does about it. Jeff Beck struggled for years with hearing loss, Yet Jeff Beck continued on somehow with playing and performing almost up to his passing. Best Wishes Paul Simon. You done plenty good already.

[surfergirl]

Sorry to hear about Paul Simon's hearing loss. June Millington has been deaf in her left ear since she was young. She places her amp and the band to her right. It's easier to adapt when you are younger. My best friend has been deaf since birth. Her boyfriend is a drummer and when we performed she would sit to the side of the stage where the drummer and bass player were and take off her shoes so she could feel the music. 

[o0Ampy0o]

I know a guy whose wife was deaf since birth. In her 50's she had something implanted in her skull. There is something else which attaches on the outside of her skull. She is now able to hear.

 

[p90jr]

On 6/1/2023 at 8:27 PM, o0Ampy0o said:

I know a guy whose wife was deaf since birth. In her 50's she had something implanted in her skull. There is something else which attaches on the outside of her skull. She is now able to hear.

 

Cochlear Implant

[p90jr]

I don't know if any of you have watched the film "The Sound of Metal"... it's very good, but it will hit you hard if you are a musician...