Huey Lewis Is Back With First New Music In 18 Years After Hearing Loss Diagnosis
Huey Lewis has some good news for fans. The singer and his longtime bandmates, The News, have signed a deal with BMG to record their first album of new songs in 18 years, the first original music since the 2001 release, Plan B, according to Rolling Stone.
In a statement about the new record, Huey Lewis said he feels it’s one of the band’s best albums yet.
“We’re very excited about our new album, and honestly feel that it’s among our best work – we cannot wait to get it out to fans!” the Huey Lewis & The News frontman said. “We’re equally excited to be with BMG, whose reputation as a ‘music-first’ label precedes them admirably.”
It was less than a year ago that Huey Lewis feared he may never sing again. In March, Lewis was forced to cancel a full 40-date tour after experiencing sudden hearing loss before a show in Dallas. At the time he revealed his fears.
“I haven’t come to grips with the fact that I may never sing again.”
Huey broke the news to fans on Twitter, admitting to fans that he was struggling to perform his hit songs 30 years after his MTV heyday.
“The lower frequencies distort violently, making it impossible to find pitch,” Huey Lewis explained at the time.
Huey Lewis and The News prep first album of new songs in 18 years https://t.co/oDJwV3QnJ0 pic.twitter.com/P8YjaY2dwa
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) January 18, 2019
The 68-year-old singer also revealed that he got multiple opinions from top doctors at famed medical facilities, including the Mayo Clinic and the Stanford Ear Institute, and that it was determined that he suffers from Meniere’s disease, an inner ear disorder that produces bouts of vertigo and hearing loss.
Huey Lewis has not performed a full concert in over a year, and in a recent post to his official blog, he admitted he still has no gigs booked because “I can’t hear enough to sing.”
Still, he was able to get in the recording studio to work on his first album in 18 years, so that is great news for his fans. There is no word if there are plans for any live shows to promote the new record at this time.
Huey Lewis shot to stardom during MTV’s early days, delivering a succession of heavy rotation hits including “The Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “If This Is It,” “Heart and Soul,” and “I Want a New Drug.”
In addition to Huey Lewis, other rock superstars, including former AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson and rock legend Eric Clapton, have been vocal about their hearing loss issues.
The New Huey Lewis & The News album is expected to be released this spring.
