Legendary musician Paul Simon has revealed that he’s lost most of the hearing in one of his ears.
The “You Can Call Me Al” hitmaker, 81, admitted that he’s not sure what exactly caused the hearing loss in his left ear, but noted that it happened “quite suddenly.”
“My reaction to that was frustration and annoyance; not quite anger yet, because I thought it would pass, it would repair itself,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame musician told The Times of London.
The 16-time Grammy winner, who penned some of the biggest tracks for the duo Simon & Garfunkel, said he began to lose his hearing while working on his new album “Seven Psalms” — released last week.
The hearing loss will likely take a toll on touring, he says, and will force him to avoid performing songs he doesn’t like.
Paul Simon revealed he’s lost most of the hearing in his left ear, admitting his reaction to it was “frustration and annoyance.”CBS via Getty Images
The hitmaker for Simon & Garfunkel said he began to lose his hearing while working on his new album “Seven Psalms” — released last week.Getty Images“The songs of mine that I don’t want to sing live, I don’t sing them,” he explained.
“Sometimes there are songs that I like and then at a certain point in a tour, I’ll say, ‘What the f— are you doing, Paul?’ Quite often that would come during ‘You Can Call Me Al.’ I’d think, ‘What are you doing? You’re like a Paul Simon cover band. You should get off the road, go home.'”
Elsewhere in the interview, the singer admitted that going on tour again is becoming to seem like more and more of a challenge for his age group.
Paul Simon admitted age is playing a factor in his touring, saying that his hearing loss will impact it. Getty Images “My generation’s time is up,” the “Graceland” singer told the outlet, referring to the recent deaths of musicians Gordon Lightfoot and Jeff Beck.
Despite that, he’s not willing to throw in the towel just yet — and insists that his hearing loss will not stop him from doing what he loves.
“Boy, have I been beaten up in these last couple of years,” he shared, adding that he’s had a hard time recovering from Covid-19. “But I look good, right?”
