DO you know which legendary musicians have experienced hearing problems? Get to know them in the following article:
HUEY LEWIS, 76
Singer Huey Lewis is deaf in both ears due to complications from Meniere’s disease, an inner-ear disorder that led him to retire from live performances in 2018. Huey is known for songs such as “Do You Believe in Love” and “Cruisin’,” a duet with Gwyneth Paltrow. He was also part of the supergroup of artists that performed the 1985 hit “We Are the World.”
PHIL COLLINS, 75
Phil Collins’ hearing problem affects his left ear, which he attributed to a viral infection and stress. His doctor diagnosed him with “sudden sensorineural hearing loss.” Aside from hearing aids, Collins also uses in-ear monitors for studio recordings and public engagements.
ERIC CLAPTON, 81
Eric Clapton revealed in an interview with UK station BBC Radio 2 that he has hearing problems in both ears and now relies on hearing aids. He attributed his hearing loss to decades of standing near loud amplifiers on stage.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, 70
The iconic comedian, actress and singer began using hearing aids in 2012, which she announced at a charity event hosted by the Starkey Hearing Foundation. She attributed her hearing loss to years of listening to loud music, which damaged her eardrums. Whoopi rose to fame through the films “The Ghost” (1990) and “Sister Act” (1992).
NEIL YOUNG, 80
Neil Young’s hearing problems include severe tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears, and hyperacusis, an extreme sensitivity to loud sounds. He does not use hearing aids but, like Phil Collins, uses in-ear monitors during his shows. His hearing was reportedly damaged in 1991 while he was mixing his live concert album “Weld With Crazy Horse.”
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, 56
Who would have thought that legendary German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven, who rose to prominence in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, was also deaf? His condition has been described by historians as a “medical mystery” to this day. Some pathologists have suggested that Ludwig may have had “Paget’s disease,” a bone disorder that can affect the auditory nerve.
BTS MEMBER “V,” 30
On August 12, 2026, BTS member V revealed that he is deaf in his right ear.
“If the hearing in my left ear is at 100%, it’s only about 30 in my right,” he said during his YouTube live broadcast.
He did not disclose the medical cause, but the K-pop singer said the condition worsened during his military training. He does not use hearing aids but does use in-ear monitors. / TRC S