Rock Icon and Montana Neighbor Huey Lewis Opens Up About Going Deaf

The outside world only knows Huey Lewis as the rock legend who wrote the 1980s classics "The Power of Love " and "Hip to Be Square." But for those of us who live in the Bitterroot Valley, he is a neighbor I occasionally see at the grocery store or walking along Main Street.

Huey recently announced that he is suffering from hearing loss. At 76 years old, he developed something known as Ménière's disease. After receiving a cochlear implant, he can only recognize everyday speech and can no longer enjoy any form of music. Saying that music is impossible for him to enjoy.

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A Tough Reality for a Music Legend

I have never been able to live without music throughout my own life. I always have music playing in the background when I travel, do housework, or relax on the porch. And I could never imagine the pain of losing the ability to listen to music. I can't imagine how it feels for someone who has built his life around music.

Thankfully, Huey has dedicated himself fully to fly fishing. Spending every day along the river. In a recent interview, Huey talked about finding peace standing alone in a river with a fly rod in hand, surrounded by nature. It's one of the few passions hearing loss hasn't taken away. As Lewis puts it, fishing doesn't require hearing.

Montana Has Given Him Something Else

Montana's mountains and waters have always held the power to heal trauma, and the sense of stability he can no longer gain from music. But if there's any place to rediscover a little peace after a loss like that, it's hard to argue with a quiet stretch of the Bitterroot River.