All dates for Huey Lewis canceled
Huey Lewis and the News has canceled all of its upcoming appearances for 2018, including a date at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in August at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, after the group’s frontman revealed that he is suffering from significant hearing loss.
“Two and a half months ago, just before a show in Dallas, I lost most of my hearing,” Lewis, 68, said in a statement released Friday, April 13. “Although I can still hear a little, one on one, and on the phone, I can’t hear music well enough to sing. The lower frequencies distort violently, mak- ing it impossible to find pitch.”
Another Planet Entertainment, the co-promoter of Outside Lands based in Berkeley, said it is working on finding a replacement act for the band.
Even though he has spent the past two decades living on a ranch in Montana, Lewis is still considered one of the pillars of the Bay Area music scene. Huey Lewis and the News has sold a combined 15 million albums with “Sports” and “Fore!” The group’s singles include “The Power of Love” and “I Want a New Drug.”
Lewis said that he consulted with specialists at the House Ear Institute, the Stanford Ear Institute and the Mayo Clinic.
“The doctors believe I have
Meniere’s disease and have agreed that I can’t perform until I improve,” he said. “The only prudent thing to do is to cancel all future shows.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Meniere’s disease is a chronic condition that can cause a feeling of vertigo, followed by a progressive, ultimately permanent loss of hearing. Various treatments can help manage the long -term impact.
Artists who have suffered — and successfully recovered — from Meniere’s include rocker Ryan Adams and Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth.
Lewis added to his note, “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.”
In February, plans were announced for a new stage musical inspired by the songs of Huey Lewis and the News, called “Heart of Rock and Roll.”