Huey Lewis says he can hear and understand speech with the help of a cochlear implant, but can no longer enjoy music as he once did. In a Los Angeles Times report published July 10, 2026, Lewis described himself as “basically deaf” and said music sounds distorted and its warmth is missing. This is his account of living with Ménière’s disease, not a clinical assessment or a general claim about cochlear implants.
What Huey Lewis said about his hearing and music
In a recent appearance on the Inside of You podcast, Lewis spoke about how hearing loss has affected his connection to music. The Los Angeles Times reported that he said he cannot reliably distinguish pitch and finds music frustrating to listen to, even though his cochlear implant helps him hear and understand speech.
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“My life has changed immeasurably. I can’t hear music. Music is not part of my life anymore,” Lewis said, according to the Los Angeles Times report. His remarks describe his own experience; they do not establish what another person with a cochlear implant or Ménière’s disease will hear.
How the reported timeline developed
- Before January 2018: CBS reported that Lewis had already lost hearing in his right ear.
- January 27, 2018: During a performance in Dallas, Lewis experienced a sudden, debilitating change. Recalling the show in an interview with CBS correspondent John Blackstone, he said: “And I went on stage and it was horrible. It was just unbelievable. Couldn’t hear a thing. Sang out of tune. Had the worst night of my life.” CBS reported that the band cancelled its tour after the performance.
- Early 2018: The Los Angeles Times places Lewis’s diagnosis of Ménière’s disease in early 2018.
- July 10, 2026: The Los Angeles Times published its account of Lewis’s more recent description of hearing speech with an implant while struggling to enjoy music.
These dates and details come from reporting by the Los Angeles Times and CBS; they are not a medical record.
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What this update does—and does not—tell readers
Lewis’s comments are a personal account of the effects he says hearing loss has had on his life and musical enjoyment. The reports do not identify his implant model or configuration, establish a prognosis, or recommend a treatment for anyone else. His experience should not be taken as a prediction of what another person with Ménière’s disease or a cochlear implant will experience.
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