Five famous musicians with hearing loss

It is very hard to believe that famous musicians who have made outstanding music have difficulty in hearing. Most of the hearing loss is caused due to exposure to loud music during recording or in live concerts. Following are some renowned musicians who have made excellent music inspite of their hearing loss: Beethovan: In 1796, Ludwig van Beethovan suffered from a severe form of tinnitus at the young age of 26. Tinnitus is a constant ringing, buzzing or whistling in the ear which causes irritation and discomfort. It gradually leads to loss of hearing in many cases. Beethovan’s condition too aggravated over the years and made it extremely difficult to communicate with people. Yet he had composed nine legendary symphonies during the period from 1799-1824.                Neil Young: While Neil Young was recording his album ‘Weld’, he realized that his hearing was not normal. The reason for his hearing problem was tinnitus which made it extremely difficult for him to make music and record songs. Fortunately, Neil Young who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, recovered soon and has since then been taking adequate precautions to protect his ears from loud noise, while working in his studio or while performing live. Paul Stanley: Paul Stanley is a famous musician, singer, songwriter and is best known as the rhythm guitarist and front man of the rock band ‘Kiss’. He was deaf in one ear ever since he was born and he has been protecting his left ear by wearing earplugs while listening to music or attending live concerts. He has been promoting the use of earplugs and other safety measures to safeguard one’s hearing. He is also associated with the House Research Institute on their initiative "It's How You Listen That Counts" that aims to help youngsters to take care of their hearing and not take it for granted. Barbra Streisand: Barbra Streisand is an icon in multiple fields of entertainment like music and films. She suffered from tinnitus when she was a little girl. It affected her sense of balance and caused her a lot of distress and she longed for silence because she was tired of the constant ringing in the ears caused by tinnitus. Ozzy Osbourne: Ozzy Osbourne is an English singer, songwriter and lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Also called the Godfather of Heavy Metal, years of exposure to loud music made him susceptible to tinnitus. Therefore, he now encourages youngsters and musicians to protect their ears by wearing hearing aids at concerts. He was also a part of the "Listen Smart" DVD by H.E.A.R., which spreads awareness about hearing loss and suggests simple measures to protect one’s ears.