The sound of silence has never sounded worse for Paul Simon, who says he has lost most of his hearing in one of his ears and may never be able to perform live again. The singer-songwriter of Simon & Garfunkel fame told the UK outlet The Times that the sudden deafness occurred while still writing music for his new album 'Seven Psalms.'
“Quite suddenly, I lost most of the hearing in my left ear, and nobody has an explanation for it,” he said. “So everything became more difficult.” He added that his immediate reaction was not panic or anger but rather "frustration and annoyance," only, he said, “because I thought it would pass, it would repair itself.” Unfortunately, that has not been the case and the legendary singer has questioned whether he'll ever be able to perform live again.
The following musicians all live for their art, but their art definitely has its downsides. Many of these artists experience hearing problems due to their exposure to high sound volumes, and some have even lost their hearing altogether. Chris Martin, Noel Gallagher, and Will.i.am are just a few examples of artists that have struggled with gradual hearing loss, even though it hasn't stopped them from continuing their careers. Click on and check out our surprising list of musicians with hearing problems.