The Who Guitarist Townshend Is Going Deaf

Reuters ^ | Mon December 9, 2002 08:54 PM ET

[Cinnamon Girl]

LONDON (Reuters) - Rock legend Pete Townshend is almost deaf after nearly 40 years of subjecting his ears to his own crashing guitar riffs with the British band The Who. The Sun newspaper quoted Townshend on Tuesday as saying his hearing has worsened since the band's U.S. tour this year.

"The recent return to touring and to me playing electric guitar -- albeit more quietly than in the 1970s --- led to further deterioration of my hearing," the paper quoted Townshend, 57, as saying.

"My right ear, which encounters my own edgy guitar and the machinegun strokes of the drums, has suffered badly. I've no idea what I can do about this.

"I am unable to perform with in-ear monitors. In fact, they increase the often unbearable tinnitus I suffer after shows."

Townshend was a key member of The Who during their heydey in the 1960s and 1970s, when he was renowned for smashing his guitars during live stage performances.

The band shot to fame with their zeitgeist album "My Generation" and cemented their reputation with the double albums "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia."

[Cinnamon Girl]

Some of us listened to our parents, and some of us didn't.

[Post Toasties]

Sorry to hear that about Pete Townshend. I've had tinnitus and some hearing loss in one ear most of my life, only in my case, it was due to a juvenile delinquent jumping out of a bush and blowing a trumpet in my ear while I was delivering papers as a kid.

[Cinnamon Girl]

That's awful. Whenever I get tinnitus, I wonder how people who have it all the time don't go crazy.

[Rockitz]

Enzyme treatment for tinnitus...

http://www.superfoots.com/sysorenforti.html

[Billy_bob_bob]

I've always been careful about hearing protection, but I went to a club a couple of weeks ago and my ears got blasted out WHILE I WAS WEARING EARPLUGS! These damn clubs crank up the music so loud that you go deaf wearing earplugs! My ears are still ringing eleven days later. I'm hoping against hope that this ringing goes away, right now it comes and goes and it gets pretty darn loud. It sounds like an old T.V. set warming up, but louder.

Anyway, I'm never going to another nightclub as long as I live. Screw it. It's not worth it to go deaf just to see some crummy local band blare away. That's all "rock" music is nowadays, no music, just 8000 decibels of blaring. You can't hear anything but the roar of your eardrums imploding!

[John Lenin]

I'm partially impaired in my left ear from an Alice Cooper concert in the 70's, we were in the third row right in front of a tower of speakers. My ear rang for 2 days after that concert.

[Billy_bob_bob]

30 pills a day! That's some treatment plan!

[truth_seeker]

"Whenever I get tinnitus, I wonder how people who have it all the time don't go crazy."

I have had tinnitus in both ears, since a day at the firing range, at Fort Ord, CA in early 1969. Home on leave, I was tested by a civilian ear doctor, who told me that I did indeed have damage, and to tell the Army about it.

Back at duty, I asked to see the medical people. They put me through several hearing tests, before giving me a medical "profile" stating I should be kept away from loud noises.

No doubt, they wanted to make certain I wasn't faking a condition, to avoid service. I finished my two year term of duty, as a personnel specialist (clerk) in Germany.

With my ears still ringing 33 years later, I know very well I wasn't faking anything.

I suppose if I dwelled upon the ringing, I might "go crazy." Instead, I accept it, as my life condition--can't do a thing about it.

I want to target shoot, and tried it--only to have the ringing become worse. I wasn't the greatest, but I shot fairly well, so I am resigned that in case of need, I would be competent, if not excellent.

As for loud music--I can understand how this came about, for Townsend. It is too bad. Maybe some method is available to restore some of his lost hearing, like Rush Limbaugh.

Townsend will understand the concept of "acceptance" due to his many years of sobriety, and the writings of Dr. Paul O.

[montag813]

My prayers for Pete. His genius has made our lives more enjoyable. How awesome having The Who, along with Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Stones and other great Brits provide the soundtrack to my youth.

Hint: Call Rush Limbaugh for a surgeon referral.

[Drango]

what? WHAT did you say? WHAT?

[RLK]

I've had it steadily worsen for 60 years. Part of it was due to childhood ear infection. Part was probably due to running a jackhammer. Part of it was getting knocked on my but by a rifle grenade in the service. I have a hiss at four different distinct frequencies.

[RLK]

These damn clubs crank up the music so loud that you go deaf wearing earplugs!

-------------------------

I was in a night club outside of Chicago 35 years ago where the music was so loud it broke glasses on the tables. I had my ears plugged up with wet paper. I didn't stay long.

[Post Toasties]

Interesting about the ginkgo. I took it for a while a few years back (to see if it really had an effect on mental alertness), and one day, it seemed like the tinnitus was almost gone. But the next day it was back to essentially the way it was before. Maybe I should try the ginkgo again.

[I still care]

For years I had periodic bouts with tinnitus and dizzy spells at night in bed. The doctor prescribed a diuretic. A few years ago I discovered chromium, which for me works as a natural diuretic and also just increases my sense of well being and energy. (I think I was deficient in it without realizing it.) Several months after starting to take it regularly I realized I had no dizzy spells and my tinnitus had greatly decreased.

I don't know if it will help anyone else but I mention it for what it is worth. It's cheap and if taken properly safe and healthy.

[DB]

Have you used it? Did it help?

I just bought some to try... I couldn't find anything on the Web saying it was bad...

[DB]

How much chromium do you take?

[Dane]

Pete Townsend has stated earlier I beleive that his hearing loss started in 1967 after the Who appeared on the Smothers Brothers show.

After the Who's set the band would destroy their instruments(Townsend banging his guitar, Moon's drums exploding). Since this was their debut on American television, Keith Moon decided to use something like 5 times the explosives when his drum set blew up. Townsend's head was right in front of the drum set when it blew up. I saw the clip from the Who's movie, "The Kids are Alright" while channel surfing VH-1, and Townsend was lucky he did not have his head blown off. You can also hear the audience gasping at the explosion of Moon's drums.

[Rockitz]

30 pills a day! That's some treatment plan!

I think in bulk that's less than $3.50/day. Hey, if it works, it's cheap at twice the price. Ask anyone with tinnitus. They'll gladly pay it.

I've taken enzymes to recover from a rotator cuff tear and a pulled hamstring with amazing results (less than 6 weeks in both cases). I was also skating 16 miles at a pretty good clip just 3 weeks after an appendectomy without pain.

[Rockitz]

Not for tinnitus, but for other injuries/surgery. See #19.

[ravinson]

Sorry to hear that about Pete Townshend. I've had tinnitus and some hearing loss in one ear most of my life, only in my case, it was due to a juvenile delinquent...

So was Townsend's. The juvenile delinquent's name was Keith Moon.

[weegee]

I get tinnitus occasionally in my ear (I can go months to a year or more without a ring). I chalk it up to loud music in general but could have suffered some trauma at another time.

My friends and I often wear ear plugs at club shows. It is odd seeing much of the crowd wearing ear plugs, the band wearing ear plugs, etc. Just turn it down several notchs.

The Bad Livers were the only band that I ever saw who repeatedly told the guy at the soundboard (at different venues) to turn it down.

[newfreep]

"The band shot to fame with their zeitgeist album "My Generation" and..."

Looks like "zeitgeist" continues to be the hip "gravitas" word.

[RightOnline]

After playing LOUD rock guitar for over 30 years.......and being a former pilot (flew the KC-135; one loud sumbitch)........I have a rip-snortin' case of tinnitus in both ears, but more pronounced in my right ear. I'd LOVE to get rid of it and am wide open to suggestions, but I've also learned to live with it.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Townsend "Retired" almost ten years ago, blaming his hearing loss.

I think the man is a musical genius (IMHO he and Daltry kick Lennon and McCartney's wussy boy musical arses), but he saw the writing on the wall a decade ago.

And his tirade against the drugs of his youth, and the tendency of fans to lionize people who died stupidly, at the rock and roll hall of fame was both powerful and touching.

But something, greed, unbridled ambition, self-destructiveness, made him reunite the Who and continue even after the death of John Entwhistle.

What did he think was going to happen?

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Sorry about the hearing loss...but more alarming is Pete playing a Fender!!! What happened to the trusty Gibson SG???

[Issaquahking]

I'll bet the "The Livers" were a a great band. Any band who thinks louder equals better, should evaluate their ability to really play.

[muddypaws]

WHO.......cases?

[I still care]

I simply take one a day of the 400 mcg, but I found it helped me even when I took smaller dosages. There are different forms, picolinate etc. I found they all helped me. That is why I think my problem stemmed from a deficiency, because even the smallest amount makes a difference in the way I feel.

I discovered it because it is a natural ingredient in brewer's yeast, which I swear by, but hate to take. (yucch!) I thought that it was the B-complex in it that helped me so much, but when I took that alone, I didn't notice a difference. When I took the chromium by itself, I noticed immediately it made me feel as good as brewer's yeast. It helped me with all kinds of problems, water retention, energy, my immune system, dizzy spells, etc.

I don't know if it would help everyone like it helped me but it certainly isn't an expensive item to buy and can't hurt you if you don't overdose, and can only help you. From what I understand it is a trace element that helps in sugar transport (insulin) so I suppose if you have a problem in that area such as carbohydrate and insulin problems (someone atkins diet tends to help) it would be good.

I would be careful if you are a brittle diabetic for that reason, perhaps check with your doctor if you have that problem.

[lugsoul]

"Were" is right - they no longer play together. But if you get the chance to see Danny Barnes, take it. He is a picker extraordinaire. Since his days with the Bad Livers he has played with a number of collaborators, including some impressive recent work with Bill Frisell. Check it out.

[weegee]

The Bad Livers were a great live band. In their later years they added additional musicians and eventually replaced their tuba, mandolin, squeezebox, etc. with keyboards and drum synthesizers.

I respect their right to change what they do but they were impervious to criticism. They told those in the audience that wanted to hear the old stuff, go buy the old albums, stay home, and listen to those!

[gcruse]

I've had tinnitus as long as I can remember. Back in grade school, I was surprised to learn that everybody else didn't have ringing in their ears. Seems to be getting a little worse as I get older. Nowadays I like to have a TV or fan or some white noise going on all the time. You never get used to it, and it can make you c-c-c-crazy!