I’m going deaf and struggling to play guitar, says Clapton
ERIC Clapton said yesterday that he is worried about performing at future concerts because he is suffering from deafness and tinnitus, and struggles to play the guitar.
The 72-year-old is due to play at Hyde Park in central London this summer but is anxious about being able to play the instrument and sing ‘proficiently’.
Clapton, who has enjoyed a fivedecade career, was forced to cancel concerts last year because of ill health. Yesterday he spoke candidly about his current condition. ‘I am still going to work,’ he told Steve Wright on Radio 2. ‘I am doing a few gigs, I am going to do a show in Hyde Park in July.
‘The only thing I am concerned with now is being in my seventies and being able to be proficient. I mean, I am going deaf, I have got tinnitus [ringing in the ears], my hands just about work.
‘I mean, I am hoping people will come along and see me ... maybe I am a curiosity. I know that is part of it, because it’s amazing to myself that I am still here.’
The former Cream star was promoting the film, Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, which is released in cinemas on Friday. He said it was hard to watch the footage because it reminded him of tough times he has experienced. Clapton’s life was blighted by addiction, first to heroin and later alcohol, before he became sober. ‘It’s difficult to sit through because it goes on so long about the difficult part of my life,’ he said.
‘It’s important for people to see that there is a happy ending, it’s like a redemption concept. If you are going to see it, be prepared for a heavy ride.’
Clapton, famous for songs including Layla and Wonderful Tonight, revealed last year that he had damaged his nervous system, which is why he finds it painful to perform. He has also said he will limit the number of concerts he plays to avoid ‘embarrassing’ himself in his old age.