They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating. The ears, however, are apparently not doing so well lately.
Huey Lewis announced Friday that he and his band, the News, had canceled all of their shows for 2018, saying, “I can’t hear music well enough to sing.”
Lewis said, “I lost most of my hearing,” adding that it happened two and a half months ago, prior to a show in Dallas.
While the singer noted that he “can still hear a little, one on one, and on the phone,” as far as music is concerned, the “lower frequencies distort violently, making it impossible to find pitch.”
Lewis added that he has sought help at the House Ear Institute, the Stanford Ear Institute and the Mayo Clinic, and that his doctors “believe I have Meniere’s disease and have agreed that I can’t perform until I improve. Therefore the only prudent thing to do is to cancel all future shows.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Meniere’s disease is “a disorder of the inner ear that causes episodes in which you feel as if you’re spinning (vertigo), and you have fluctuating hearing loss with a progressive, ultimately permanent loss of hearing, ringing in the ear (tinnitus), and sometimes a feeling of fullness or pressure in your ear.”
“Needless to say, I feel horrible about this, and wish to sincerely apologize to all the fans who’ve already bought tickets and were planning to come see us. I’m going to concentrate on getting better, and hope that one day soon I’ll be able to perform again.”
Huey Lewis and The News cancel all 2018 performances. See attached note from Huey. pic.twitter.com/FbWqDlGwnR
15 Highest Paid Music Stars of 2016, From The Weeknd to Taylor Swift (Photos)
Forbes' annual ranking of the top-paid entertainers includes some stand-out musicians. The totals are based on earnings from June 2015 to June 2016, with figures from Nielsen, Pollstar, Songkick, Box Office Mojo and other sources.
15. The Weeknd - $55 million
Can the Canadian-born singer still feel his face? He catapulted into arena tour status with his 2015 hit album "Beauty Behind the Madness."
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15. U2 - $55 million
The Irish rockers may have lost some steam since their record-shattering 360 tour from 2009-2011, but they still can pack in fans.
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13. Kenny Chesney - $56 million
The country star has become a fixture on the summer arena tour circuit, supplementing his income with endorsements for Corona beer, Costa sunglasses and his own brand of rum.
13. Justin Bieber - $56 million
The Biebs had a very good year, with a hit album, "Purpose," arena concerts, merchandise sales and a Calvin Klein modeling gig.
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12. Paul McCartney - $56.5 million
The former Beatle continues to be a prolific touring artist, and he earns a fortune from music publishing rights.
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11. Bruce Springsteen - $60.5 million
The Boss makes a mint touring with the E Street Band and plans a new solo album for late 2016.
10. Diddy - $62 million
Though he's planning a Bad Boy Reunion tour for the second half of 2016, the rapper makes the bulk of his money from his clothing line and a big-bucks deal with Diageo's Ciroc vodka.
9. Calvin Harris - $63 million
The Scotsman (and T. Swift ex) is the top-grossing deejay in the world, with the bulk of his revenue coming from high-paying Las Vegas gigs.
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8. Rolling Stones - $66.5 million
The British rockers played only 27 gigs in the period Forbes studied -- but mostly to near sell-out crowds in humongous U.S. stadiums.
7. AC/DC - $67.5 million
The metal giants only seemed to boost the success of their concert tour when they replaced ailing lead singer Brian Johnson with Axl Rose.
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6. Garth Brooks - $70 million
The 54-year-old country star is now on the second year of his comeback concert tour, with international dates planned well into 2017.
5. Rihanna - $75 million
Her album "Anti" was another No. 1 hit, and she boasts endorsement deals with Dior, Puma and Samsung.
4. Madonna - $76.5 million
The Material Girl's Rebel Heart tour grossed more than $170 million; she also has successful clothing and perfume lines.
3. Adele - $80.5 million
In addition to sell-out arena concert performances, the British singer sold a record 3 million-plus copies of her album "25" in its first week of release last November.
2. One Direction - $110 million
Despite the exit of Zayn Malik in March 2015, the now four-man British boy band benefited from its On the Road Again tour.
1. Taylor Swift - $170 million
Her North American tour last year smashed the record set by the Rolling Stones, plus she raked in additional cash by promoting products such as Apple, Diet Coke and Keds.
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Forbes’ annual ranking of the top-earning entertainers includes some stand-out musicians
Forbes' annual ranking of the top-paid entertainers includes some stand-out musicians. The totals are based on earnings from June 2015 to June 2016, with figures from Nielsen, Pollstar, Songkick, Box Office Mojo and other sources.