Gary Numan delivers health update after losing '90 per cent' of his hearing after decades on the stage

Lydia Davies
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:05:06 +0000

Gary Numan has revealed he has lost the vast majority of his hearing after five decades in the music industry.

The 68-year-old electronic pioneer made the admission during an appearance on the I'm ADHD! No You're Not podcast.

“I've got hearing aids on so I can hear what you're doing,” Mr Numan told the presenters, before confirming he was “90 per cent deaf”.

The musician, who rose to fame in the late 1970s as frontman of Tubeway Army before achieving solo success with hits including Cars and Are Friends Electric?, now relies on hearing aids for everyday communication.

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Podcast presenter Paul Whitehouse joked that the musician's ears were “done” after decades of blasting Les Paul guitars through full-volume amplifiers.

Mr Numan acknowledged that consistently operating equipment at maximum volume was the primary cause of his hearing loss.

The condition has also impacted his life beyond music, forcing him to give up his passion for display flying.

He confirmed his hearing impairment was among the reasons he stepped away from aviation.

Research from the Hearing Health Foundation shows professional musicians face significantly higher risks of auditory damage due to prolonged exposure to high-decibel environments.

Data suggests those in the music industry are nearly four times more likely to suffer noise-induced hearing loss than the general population.

Musicians also face a 57 per cent higher risk of developing tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears.

A separate study by Help Musicians found that two in five performers have experienced some degree of hearing damage linked to their work.

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Health organisations stress that such damage is often preventable, with protective equipment widely available.

Despite the challenges, Mr Numan remains active and continues to perform.

He is set to headline a major show at Crystal Palace Park on August 6 as part of the Palace Bowl Presents festival series.

The concert will feature material spanning his career, including hits such as Cars and ME, with support from Marc Almond performing Soft Cell classics and solo tracks, alongside Ladytron.

The performance follows his recent 45th anniversary tour of Telekon and comes as he continues touring across North America, with further dates scheduled across the UK and Europe this summer.

The musician's hearing announcement comes just months after he revealed his brother, John Webb, died suddenly aged 60 after suffering a heart attack just hours after attending his Leeds show.

The pair had spent the evening together before Mr Webb collapsed while walking to his car in the early hours of Saturday.

Mr Numan broke down on stage the following night, telling fans he had received “the worst news ever”.

The singer later described the tragedy as “the worst moment of my life” as he vowed to continue touring in his brother’s honour.

Mr Numan isn't the first musician to have spoken out about hearing loss in recent years.

The legendary DJ and producer Pete Tong has discussed the effects of a lifetime of loud music and is working with Boots Hearingcare to raise awareness among "relapsed ravers" (people of his generation still attending clubs).

Furthermore, English singer-songwriter Zak Abel spoke with Graham Norton in January 2024 about his experience with hearing loss, and Noel Gallagher has been vocal about his long-term battle with tinnitus caused by years of concerts, a symptom he has described as a constant "ringing".

Fellow Coldplay star Chris Martin has also stated he has suffered from tinnitus and hearing loss since he was 25, encouraging the use of in-ear monitors.