Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray Is Going Deaf, Admits to Being Scared

Mark McGrath, the lead singer of Sugar Ray, has announced that he is losing his hearing. As a musician, hearing is as much a part of his job as being able to sing.

According to “USA Today,” in a recent interview, McGrath went public with his health issues, sharing that it is the years of touring that ultimately impacted his ability to hear. However, while the singer may be going deaf, it seems that he is still resisting the idea of wearing hearing aids or any other devices to try and salvage his ears.

Even during the interview, it was clear that McGrath was struggling to hear what was being asked of him, which led to him admitting that as of now he is deaf and can no longer hear what is being said to him.

The singer explained that years of standing so close to cymbals, drums, and loud speakers contributed to his hearing loss. McGrath shared how he we was feeling about going deaf and what it was like by saying, “I’ll be listening to people, and they’ll tell me their names, and I can’t hear anymore. It’s scary because my job is hearing.”

While there are plenty of tools and aids at his disposal in order to prevent further hearing loss, while also allowing him the ability to still hear, Mark McGrath admitted that he does not use any of them. He even called himself dumb for not using the aids. However, he said that the reason he does not is because he still wants the old-fashioned concert experience. He wants the sights and sounds, even though he is going deaf and the sounds are not there like they used to be for him.

Even with the hearing loss, McGrath and Sugar Ray still have upcoming tour dates that extend through November. The singer is clearly not allowing this prognosis to stop him and his work, even if he is afraid of what this may mean for his future. At the same time, McGrath is still willing to joke about his age and would rather blame going deaf on getting old than on his career.

The future of Mark McGrath’s career may not be set in stone any longer, as he will have to deal with what going deaf means for being a lead singer in a rock group. For now though, it seems that he is choosing to keep working without the help of hearing aids or any other tools to prevent his hearing from deteriorating further.

Written and Edited by Kimberley Spinney

Sources:

USA Today – Sugar Ray’s Marc McGrath reveals he is going deaf: ‘It’s scary because my job is hearing’

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