Neil Young

The famed musician experienced changes to their hearing from the recording and mixing of the live rock and roll album, Weld. As a result, Young turned to creating softer music.2 

As he expressed in an interview, “I made ‘Harvest Moon’ because I didn’t want to hear any loud sounds. I still have a little bit of tinnitus, but now I’m not as sensitive to loud sounds as I was for a year after the mixing of ‘Weld’. My hearing’s not perfect but it’s okay.”3 

 

Ozzy Osbourne

Today, Ozzy Osbourne is an advocate for hearing protection. He admits that having ignored the need for protection when playing in Black Sabbath, it led to significant hearing changes and he now suffers from tinnitus.

“I suffer from permanent tinnitus because of all the headbanging I’ve done,” he said in an interview.4 “Which means I’ve got this constant ringing in my ears, which has also made me somewhat deaf [or conveniently deaf as Sharon calls it]. It’s like this wheeee noise in my head all the time. Should have worn earplugs, I guess.”

 

Phil Collins

In 2011, Phil Collins announced that he was ending his touring career due to tinnitus.5 His hearing was something he struggled with for several years prior to the diagnosis. 

Collins revealed in an interview, “I was recording in the States and had spent the day singing in the studio. Then I collected my daughter from school. We got home, had something to eat, played a video game. Then suddenly my ear went ssssshhhh. Within a second my left ear simply closed down. As if I had been under water. I tried to clear it by pinching my nose.”6

 

Louis Tomlinson

Proving that hearing loss and tinnitus can occur at any age, the One Direction star revealed that he’d been left partially deaf in his right ear at the age of 20. It came shortly after the band’s world tour in 2012. Tomlinson said that the tinnitus wasn’t caused by loud music but rather the incessant screaming of the fans that followed the musicians around. 7

 

Chris Martin

The Coldplay frontman sought help for his tinnitus when it became unbearable. Martin has said that he was advised on how to protect his hearing and prevent the condition from worsening after seeking professional help.8 Now, the Coldplay musicians all wear in-ear monitors and custom earplugs to protect their hearing during performances.

 

Will.i.am

The hip-hop artist and Grammy Award winner revealed that he chronically suffers from tinnitus, with doctors warning him that it will eventually lead to irreversible hearing loss. 

In an interview, Will.i.am said, “I’m 43. When I went to the doctor and got an ear test, they said, ‘Your ears are that of someone a lot older. In 2007, 2013 and this year [2019], I got all my frequency tests and the curve…it’s proper loss.”9 

Even so, Will.i.am continues to lead a generally healthy lifestyle and finds joy in music. He expressed, “I can’t be still. Work calms me down. I can’t be quiet, as that’s when I notice the ringing in my ears. There’s always a beep there every day, all day now. I don’t know what silence sounds like anymore. Music is the only thing which eases my pain.” 


Brian Johnson

Doctors told AC/DC frontman that he faced total hearing loss if he continued touring. As a result, he pulled out of the band’s 2016 tour and sought help from a hearing specialist. He now wears an in-ear device to help aid his hearing loss and tinnitus.10 

Johnson said in an interview, “It was pretty serious. I couldn’t hear the tone of the guitars at all. It was a horrible kind of deafness.11 I was literally getting by on muscle memory and mouth shapes. I was starting to really feel bad about the performances in front of the boys, in front of the audience. It was crippling. There’s nothing worse than standing there and not being sure.” 


Moby

The musician and songwriter has suffered from tinnitus for most of his career after not doing much to protect his hearing while performing. 

As he explained in an interview, “When I first started playing in bands, I never wore hearing protection, and we played as loud as we could. One night I came home from a punk rock show, and my ears were ringing, as they often did. And they were still ringing the next day. And the next.”12

Moby added, “Ever since then I’ve worn some sort of hearing protection when exposed to very loud music. Because I realised that once my hearing is gone, it will never return.” 
 

How to Protect Your Hearing in the Music Industry

Tinnitus and hearing loss are prevalent among musicians and those working in the music industry due to increased exposure to loud noise. It’s important to protect your hearing from noise-induced hearing loss. This can be done by:

  • Wearing earplugs to protect the ear canal and reduce the noise decibels of the music 
  • Avoiding overexposure by taking frequent breaks from loud music for lengthy periods of time 
  • Wearing custom-fitted in-ear monitors 
  • Not standing too close to the speakers which serve as the direct source of the sound

 

Most importantly, regular hearing checks are essential, as a hearing care professional can detect any early hearing loss and suggest strategies for preventing further damage. Visit your local Connect Hearing clinic where our friendly team will check your hearing and help you manage any concerns so you can get back to enjoying music.  

 

References:

  1. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (n.d.), About ear health, www.health.gov.au, accessed 15 December 2024 
  2. Loop (4 April 2018), 12 Famous Artists With Tinnitus, Medium, accessed 15 December 2024
  3. Happy Mag (20 October 2020), Trading tinnitus for tranquility: how hearing loss forced Neil Young into his sombre masterpiece ‘Harvest Moon’, https://happymag.tv, accessed 15 December 2024 
  4. The Sunday Times (27 June 2010), Ozzy Osbourne: on headbanging exercises and budget tattoos, www.thetimes.com, accessed 15 December 2024. 
  5. The Guardian (12 February 2016), Phil Collins returns: ‘I got letters from nurses saying, “That’s it, I’m not buying your records”’, www.theguardian.com, accessed 15 December 2024. 
  6. Connect Hearing Canada (29 August 2019), Phil Collins returns to the stage, www.connecthearing.ca, accessed 15 December 2024. 
  7. Capital FM (1 August 2012), One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson: “I’m Going Slightly Deaf”, www.capitalfm.com, accessed 15 December 2024. 
  8. Hearing Associates of Las Vegas (30 September 2019), Chris Martin of Coldplay has Tinnitus and Encourages Hearing Protection, https://hearingassociateslv.com, accessed 15 December 2024. 
  9. Metro (7 September 2024), The Voice UK coach will.i.am’s health condition will eventually lead to irreversible hearing loss, https://metro.co.uk, accessed 15 December 2024. 
  10. Radio X (5 October 2024), How did AC/DC’s Brian Johnson overcome his hearing loss?, www.radiox.co.uk, accessed 15 December 2024
  11. Rolling Stone (6 October 2020), Exclusive: Angus Young, Brian Johnson, And Cliff Williams On The Resurrection Of AC/DC, www.rollingstone.com, accessed 15 December 2024
  12. Sound of Life (30 December 2022), From Chris Martin to Grimes, the Musicians You Probably Didn’t Know are Deaf, www.soundoflife.com, accessed 15 December 2024