Beloved singer-songwriter discusses hearing loss in interview: ‘I don’t think creativity ends with disability’

Last year, legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon opened up about his hearing loss. Times He said that while he was working on the album “Seven Psalms” he started having problems with his left ear.

“I suddenly lost most of the hearing in my left ear, and no one had an explanation for it,” he explained. “So everything got harder.”

Now in a new interview “CBS MorningsSimon spoke to reporter Anthony Mason about his hearing loss journey and his attempts to manage the condition.

At first, struggling with this situation was so arresting that he feared he might never even be able to write or compose again.

“It was incredibly frustrating. “At first I was very angry that this was happening,” he admitted. “I think the thing I would be most worried about would be not being able to hear well enough to really enjoy the act of making music,” he added.

He has since suffered dramatic hearing loss, revealing that his left ear only has 6% hearing. But by refusing to let it hold her back, she learned to make adjustments.

The “Bridge Over Troubled Water” singer instead opted for larger speakers and placed them around herself while playing so she could hear the music better. He also changed how and what music he played.

“I’m going through my repertoire and narrowing down most of my selections to acoustic versions. Everything is much quieter. It’s not ‘You Can Call Me Al’. This is gone. “I can’t do that,” said Simon, laughing a little.

Although Simon’s last tour ended in 2018, he still makes a few appearances. He recently performed a surprise set at the Irish Center for the Arts in New York City. A few weeks ago, he performed at The SoHo Sessions in New York.

His performance there was part of a fundraiser. Stanford Initiative to Treat Hearing Loss (SICHL).

“You know Matisse, when he was suffering at the end of his life, he dreamed up all these cuts while he was in bed and had a wonderful creative period,” Simon said. “So I don’t think creativity ends with disability. I haven’t experienced this yet. And I hope it doesn’t.

At first, doctors told Simon there was nothing that could be done about his hearing loss, but Simon soon learned about SICHL, which involves a team of nearly 100 scientists looking for ways to prevent, repair and replace damaged inner ear tissue.

This news is positive for Simon and those struggling like him.

In an episode of the “CBS Mornings interview,” Simon visited the Stanford Cure Hearing Loss Initiative at their Palo Alto, Calif., facility, where he discussed how animals such as zebrafish and mice are being used to research ways to improve hearing.