Mark McGrath is not going deaf, the singer clarified in a series of tweets Thursday.
The Daily Mail reported Wednesday that the Sugar Ray frontman “cannot hear anymore” and that it was “scary” because his job as a musician requires him to hear the music.
But after receiving messages from concerned fans, McGrath, 50, tweeted at outlets who reported the story, saying the original piece was “misleading.”
“Though it’s true I’ve lost some hearing in one ear (a common occurrence in this profession), this headline is entirely misleading, and taken way out of context…,” he tweeted in response to an Entertainment Tonight Canada article. “Fortunately, (or unfortunately to some!) I look forward to performing for many years to come! Thanks for the concern.”
When a fan, who is deaf himself, sent suggestions for hearing aids, McGrath further explained, “Fortunately, I only have mild loss in ear, so I must be more attentive [than] when I was younger…but your attitude is inspiring!”
He reassured his followers in a separate tweet, “Though [I] definitely have some hearing loss in one ear (think of it as sight as you get older), I think the inclusion of the word ‘symbol’ is a symbol of the validity of this story…Thank you to those who are concerned, and I look forward to rockin’ stages around the world..”
The Daily Mail reported that McGrath’s hearing loss worsened due to years of touring and being “two feet in front” of symbols and drums. “High frequencies I can’t hear anymore,” the rock star reportedly told them. “I’ll be listening to people and they’ll tell me their names and I can’t hear anymore.”
Fellow singer, Richard Marx, empathized with McGrath’s hearing issues, tweeting, “My tinnitus grows steadily worse every year. I feel for all of us who devote our lives to making music and fear eventual silence.”
McGrath responded, “Totally worth the sacrifice, when your fortunate to do something you love, and hear the stories of how much your music means to people (as you well know)…now, get off my lawn!”
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