GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – One of this summer’s scheduled concerts at Frederik Meijer Gardens has been canceled due to a surprise medical issue.
Huey Lewis and The News announced Friday they are cancelling their entire 2018 tour, including their July 8 show in Grand Rapids, because Huey Lewis has lost his hearing.
In a statement from the band, Lewis says that about two and a half months ago, he lost his hearing just before a show in Dallas. Some of his hearing has returned, but he says he can’t hear the music well enough to sing. Read the entire statement below:
Two and a half months ago, just before a show in Dallas, I lost most of my hearing. Although I can still hear a little, one on one, and on the phone, I can’t hear music well enough to sing. The lower frequencies distort violently making it impossible to find pitch. I’ve been to the House Ear Institute, the Stanford Ear Institute, and the Mayo Clinic, hoping to find an answer. The doctors believe I have Meniere’s disease and have agreed that I can’t perform until I improve. Therefore the only prudent thing to do is to cancel all future shows. Needless to say, I feel horrible about this, and wish to sincerely apologize to all the fans who’ve already bought tickets and were planning to come see us. I’m going to concentrate on getting better, and hope that one day soon I’ll be able to perform again.
Sincerely, Huey
Huey Lewis and The News performed in 2017 as part of the Meijer Gardens Summer Concert Series.