Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath is going deaf

OHMYGOSSIP — Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath is going “deaf” after “years and years” of performing on stage.
The 51-year-old singer – who shot to fame as the frontman for the popular 90s ‘Fly’ group – has explained that he is “worried” for his future as a performer because he “can’t hear anymore”, due to “being on the road” for most of his career.
He told DailyMailTV: “I’m deaf now. I cannot hear any more. It’s years and years of being on the road and being two feet behind symbols and drums so high frequencies, I can’t hear anymore.
“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. [The future] is absolutely a worry of mine.”
Mark – who will be playing several gigs this summer across the US – explained that he has been advised to wear in-ear monitors, a type of hearing aid, whilst he is on stage to protect his ears, however, he refuses to wear them.
He added: “Fortunately for the new generation, they have in ears. I’m dumb enough not to use them though. I still need the sight sounds and smells of a concert and that includes the auditory part, but unfortunately, mine’s going.
“It’s funny, I got into music and rock n’ roll not to worry about any of this: business, mindsets, health. I wanted to party, I’m in a band, that’s what you do. And then life catches up to you and reality happens and by the grace of God we became a band, also, I found myself running a multi-million dollar corporation.”
The former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star also insisted that he is working on prolonging what he has left of his hearing, even if that does mean taking a “step back” from the spotlight.
He continued: “As I get older, my health’s going, I have knee problems, back problems. So I am working on the hearing now. It’s something that recently last year my doctor said you’ve got to step back a little bit.
“It’s like if you start losing your hair, you’re like, ‘I’m not losing my hair.’ But hearing is the same way, but it’s something I do have to get on it. You can’t repair your hearing. Once it goes, it goes. You can hope to stop the damage.”

Source: IconInsider.com
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