Eric Clapton revealed in a new interview that he is going deaf after being diagnosed with tinnitus, which is the perception of ringing in the ears commonly caused by noise-induced hearing loss.
“I am still going to work. I’m doing a few gigs. I am going to do a show at Hyde Park [British Summer Time Festival] in July,” the 72-year-old musician said during an interview with Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday, January 9. “The only thing I’m concerned with now is being in my 70s and being able to be proficient. I mean, I’m going deaf, I’ve got tinnitus, my hands just about work.”
Amid his battle, Clapton hopes his fans will still show their support at his concerts. “I am hoping that people will come along and see me [for] more than [because] I am a curiosity,” he said. “I know that is part of it because it’s amazing to myself that I am still here.”
The three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee previously revealed that he suffers with peripheral neuropathy, which causes weakness and pain in hands and feet. He said in June 2016 that the nerve damage has affected his ability to play the guitar.
Clapton is best known for songs including “Wonderful Tonight,” “Tears in Heaven,” “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Change the World.”
Sting, Ozzy Osbourne and Neil Young are among the other rock stars who have said they also suffer from hearing loss. During a SiriusXM interview in November 26, the former Police frontman, 66, said, “I tried wearing a hearing aid, but I heard more than I wanted to hear! People talk a lot of s–t. … I’m fairly deaf and ‘what?’ is my favorite word.”
