Here And Now
Celebrities with Hearing Loss
In the UK there are 12 million adults with hearing loss, and more across other parts of the world. These statistics include several celebrities and musicians living with hearing loss and tinnitus, some of which you may not expect!
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg wears 2 hearing aids and blames her hearing loss on years of listening to loud music. As a hearing aid wearer, Goldberg became an advocate for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, encouraging young people to avoid hearing loss by lowering the volume of their speakers and headphones.
WILL.I.AM
Founding member of The Black Eyed Peas and long standing judge on The Voice, WILL.I.AM has shared that he suffers from tinnitus. Whilst for some tinnitus can be difficult when working, WILL.I.AM has said that music is the only thing that eases his pain, spurring him to make even more music.
Chris Martin
Another musician who suffers from tinnitus is Coldplay lead singer, Chris Martin. Chris first noticed the symptoms of tinnitus as a teenager listening to loud music, however he ignored it. In the early 2000’s his tinnitus became more severe as the band performed without hearing protection. Following a visit to a specialist, he was advised to start wearing hearing protection to prevent his tinnitus getting worse and future hearing loss. As he has taken steps to protecting his own hearing, Chris has become a promoter of hearing protection for music lovers of all ages.
Millie Bobby Brown
Teen star Millie Bobby Brown has revealed she is completely deaf in one ear. The Stranger Things star shared that she was born with partial loss of hearing in one of her ears, and after years of tubes her hearing completely faded in that ear. When she’s acting or singing, she can’t fully hear herself however she doesn’t let this hold her back in any of her roles.
Phil Collins
Years of being a touring musician took its toll on Phil Collins’ hearing. The singer was diagnosed with sudden deafness in his left ear, after noticing a strange feeling in his ear. Most of the hearing returned to his ear, and doctors later connected the deafness with stress.
If you have any concerns about hearing loss or tinnitus, contact our audiologists today.