Celebrities Speak Up

Tinnitus & Hyperacusis

Eric Clapton, Musician

I started using Fender Deluxe Reverb amps and 50-watt Marshalls around ’97, after I started having some problems with tinnitus. It was my own doing—being irresponsible and thinking I was invincible.

Tim Bogert, Musician

Tinnitus, big time. That’s the price you pay for having a darn good time. Nothing’s free!

Neil Young, Musician

I made ‘Harvest Moon’ [in 1992] because I didn’t want to hear any loud sounds. I still have a little bit of tinnitus, but fortunately now I’m not as sensitive to loud sounds as I was for a year after the mixing of ‘Weld’ [in 1991]. My hearing’s not perfect but it’s okay.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Musician

If you get a scratch on your nose, in a week that’ll be gone. When you scratch your hearing or damage your hearing, it doesn’t come back. I try to point out to younger kids.… once your hearing is gone, it’s gone, and there’s no real remedy.

Pete Townshend of The Who, Musician

I have severe hearing damage. It’s manifested itself as tinnitus, ringing in the ears at frequencies that I play guitar. It hurts, it’s painful, and it’s frustrating

William Shatner, Actor

There were days when I didn’t know whether I would survive, I was so tormented by the screeching in my head.

Chris Martin of Coldplay, Musician

I’ve had tinnitus for about 10 years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn’t got any worse—touch wood. Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem. I wish I’d thought about it earlier.

Ozzy Osbourne, Musician

I suffer from permanent tinnitus . . . 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 ‘whee!’ noise in my head all the time. Should have worn earplugs, I guess.

Barbra Streisand, Musician

When I went to have my hearing tested, I had supersonic hearing. I hear more. It’s annoying because I long to hear silence. That’s one of the reasons that I always felt different as a kid. I was in the sixth grade when I started to hear these strange noises, and I would put scarves around my head to try to block them out. I lived with a secret. I was afraid to find out what it was.

Hearing Loss

Eve Chalom, Figure Skater

I have had to learn how to be proactive in making sure that I am watching out for my own interests in situations where I am having trouble hearing.

Florence Henderson, Actress

The nerves get infected, which leads to hearing loss. I had surgery on both ears, which involved implanting stainless steel and Teflon to help me hear.

Bilinda Butcher, Musician

I had a punctured ear drum which fortunately they were able to put right but for a while I couldn’t hear out of one ear and it was very depressing. Onstage we all wear hearing protection and encourage anyone who sees us regularly to do the same.

Stephanie Beacham, Actress

Because hearing for me—particularly in large groups—is so tiring I’ve always needed to spend a lot of time alone, so deafness can be a lonely experience and I’m sure I’d be more sociable with full hearing.

Alex Lacamoire, Composer

I often wonder if my handicap is actually an asset…. My hearing loss makes me listen a little harder. It allows me to live in my own bubble. I can really focus in on music and tune out the world around me.

Arnold Palmer, PGA Golf Legend

I, like thousands of other people, was reluctant to [wear hearing aids]. I had many tests through the years that indicated a gradual hearing loss and that I should do something about it to enhance the quality of life.

Ménière's Disease and Other Balance Disorders

Kristin Chenoweth, Singer/Actress

I went to the inner ear doctor, sometimes they do these maneuvers where they throw you into these positions to get these little bones out of your scotch tape.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Playwright/Actor/Composer

Knock Knock
Who’s There?
Vestibular Neuronitis!”
No thanks!
*turns around gets dizzy falls down*
Too late you have it Lin! Get off Twitter!