Legendary musician Paul Simon has revealed he has lost most of his hearing in one ear.
The 81-year-old “You Can Call Me Al” producer admitted he wasn’t sure exactly what caused the hearing loss in his left ear, but noted it happened “pretty suddenly”.
“My reaction to this was frustration and annoyance; not really angry yet because I thought it would pass and it would fix itself,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician told london times.
The 16-time Grammy winner, who wrote some of the greatest tracks for the duo Simon & Garfunkel, said he started losing his hearing while working on his new album, “Seven Psalms,” which was released last week.
He said the hearing loss could have taken a toll on the tour and forced him to avoid playing songs he didn’t like.
“Songs that I don’t want to perform live, I don’t sing,” he explained.
“Sometimes I like some songs, and then at some point during the tour, I’ll be like, ‘What the fuck are you doing, Paul?’ Usually at the ‘You can call me Al. I’d be like, ‘What are you doing? You’re like a Paul Simon cover band. You should get off the road and go home. ‘”
Elsewhere in the interview, the singer admitted that touring again seemed increasingly a challenge for someone his age.
“Our generation’s time is up,” the “Graceland” singer told the outlet, referring to news of the recent deaths of musicians Gordon Lightfoot and Jeff Baker.
Still, he’s not willing to throw in the towel — and insists his hearing loss won’t stop him from doing the things he loves.
“Boy, have I been beaten for the last few years,” he shared, adding that he was having a hard time recovering from Covid-19. “But I look good, don’t I?”
