Paul Simon's Forced Hearing Disorder Change Setlist While Performing
JAKARTA - Paul Simon has struggled with hearing loss over the past few years. The condition of his left ear was unable to hear well.
This condition has made him no longer hold tours, although it still appears occasionally for some shows.
During the latest interview with CBS Mornings, the 83-year-old musician also revealed how he had to use several special monitors to help his hearing.
"There's only about 6 percent (hearing) in my left ear," said Paul Simon.
"When the balance is right, I can hear well," he continued.
This condition also forced him to change the setlist. He even had to get rid of one of his most popular songs, You Can Call Me Al.
I'm compiling my repertoire and reducing the many choices I'm making into an acoustic version. Everything is much calmer. It's not You Can Call Me Al. It's gone. I can't do that," he said.
Furthermore, Paul admitted that this hearing loss really frustrated him. New hopes also emerged thanks to research conducted at Stanford University, where a group of scientists worked to reverse the impact of hearing loss.
"I don't think creativity has stopped due to disability. So far, I haven't experienced it. And I hope not," he said.