Huey Lewis is hoping to make his way back into the entertainment industry soon with his Broadway musical and his work on TV, but his era as a musician came to an unfortunate close.
The rock and roll icon, who will turn 75 this July, retired from touring and performing in 2018 when he revealed that he had been diagnosed with Ménière's disease, leaving him unable to hear and, as a result, sing.
The Mayo Clinic describes the disease as an inner ear problem that can cause dizzy spells, also called vertigo, and hearing loss. Most of the time, Meniere's disease affects only one ear."
© Getty ImagesIt continues: "Meniere's disease can happen at any age. But it usually starts between the ages of 40 to 60. It's thought to be a lifelong condition. But some treatments can help ease symptoms and lessen how it affects your life long term."
Since then, Huey has retired from touring and recording new music due to his health. He continues to live on his ranch in Stevensville, Montana and shares a close relationship with his two children, a daughter named Kelly and a son named Austin, now both in their early 40s.
He has continued to, however, make occasional appearances on screen, most recently in an episode of The Blacklist in 2021, playing himself. His most notable endeavor, however, has been The Heart of Rock and Roll.
© Getty ImagesIn April 2024, the musical, based on and featuring the works of Huey Lewis and the News, opened on Broadway. It closed in June, but is now being prepared to open in London's West End before returning to the United States in 2027 for a national tour. The show received positive reviews and a Drama League Award nomination for Outstanding Production of a Musical.
Most recently, the frontman is partnering with the stars of 1985's Back to the Future (which featured their music on its soundtrack) and Gibson to launch a search for the famed guitar played by Michael J. Fox in the movie.
Huey spoke with People recently about the initiative and opened up about his health, recalling how "disconsolate" he was when he first received the diagnosis while in the midst of a tour. "I mean, it was a very bad six months. It pretty much stayed in bed. I contemplated my demise. 'How am I going to do it?' Because I thought the world had ended."
© Getty ImagesHowever, he was able to find the silver lining, especially with the help of family. "And the bottom line is I'm still a lucky guy and there are lots of people out there worse than I am," he noted.
"My son, after a certain point, calls me up and says, 'Pops, come on, we're going to go fishing or something.' And yeah, it's a reset. You have to rebalance and things, but it doesn't mean that life is terrible ... my life isn't as good as it used to be, but it's still a lot better than most." Huey also has a notable passion for golf.
© Getty ImagesHe also teased, as for future plans, that he has "a little bit of a TV show in development with Aaron Kaplan and Jimmy Kimmel that we're flirting with, but it's early days yet."
Expanding further upon the implications to his health, he continued: "I'm no spring chicken, so something's going to happen at some point. And this is my cross to bear."
© Getty Images"I have a cochlear implant in my head that now enables me to hear speech much better," he explained. "I lost bilaterally, my hearing ... the intense vertigo — knock on wood — I have kind of outgrown. I'm mildly dizzy all the time, and my hearing just went to zero. And now I have a cochlear implant, so I'm much better that way, but I can't hear music."
