Tunstall scraps shows to save her hearing
KT TUNSTALL has cancelled shows due to hearing problems which “could be the difference between being able to be a musician or not”.
The Scottish singer lost her hearing in her left ear in 2018, experiencing tinnitus, and during July tours this year began suffering the same hearing problems in her right ear.
She has been forced to cancel upcoming dates, fearing further damage to her hearing brought on by her schedule could threaten her future as a musician.
The performer has announced she will abandon lengthy touring completely to safeguard her career.
She said: “I have decided that the only healthy way forward for me as a ‘live’ musician is to completely avoid lengthy back-to-back touring which causes inevitable exhaustion and stress.
“I wish to play live and create music for the rest of my life, but to best ensure I will be able to do so, I must put my hearing health first as it could be the difference between being able to be a musician or not.”
The singer first experienced “frightening” tinnitus in her left ear in 2008 after attending a Spice Girls concert. In 2018 this escalated to “permanently losing 100 per cent” of her hearing on that side “overnight” while on tour.
Tunstall has assured fans that she will still tour, but with extra time to rest between shows to protect her hearing.
She added: “The decision to pull myself out of my summer 2021 touring schedule has been an extremely difficult one to make.
“Playing live has been my life for the last 20 years, and is my deepest passion.
“I love you, thank you always for your support and understanding, and I hope to see you somewhere before too long.”
Tunstall is among a number of musicians, from Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who have experienced tinnitus or other hearing complaints in their careers.