Brian Setzer Cancels “Christmas Rocks!” Tour Due to Severe Tinnitus

Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

November 12th, 2019 1:27 PM

Brian Setzer has been forced to cancel his upcoming “Christmas Rocks!” tour due to severe tinnitus.

Setzer issued the following statement regarding the news: “It’s heartbreaking to disappoint my fans who have shared my Christmas seasons with me for over fifteen years. I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused all of the amazing people who make my tour happen and to my unbelievably loyal and devoted fans. I hate to let you down and I hope you’ll understand.”

Setzer isn’t the first musician to cancel a tour due to tinnitus. In October, Mott the Hoople ’74 had to cancel their tour due to singer Ian Hunter suffering from “a severe case of tinnitus.” Huey Lewis & the News were also forced to cancel their remaining 2018 tour dates when Huey Lewis suddenly lost his hearing due to tinnitus and Meniere’s Disease, an inner ear disorder “that can lead to vertigo and hearing loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Rockers with Tinnitus

• Brian Johnson

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  The AC/DC singer famously stepped away from the band due to hearing loss issues in 2016. He said in an interview with 'Rolling Stone,' that he forgot to wear earplugs during a race in 2008 which resulted in tinnitus symptoms for about six to seven months.

• Eric Clapton

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  Clapton told BBC Radio 2 in January 2018, "I’m concerned with now is being in my 70s and being able to be proficient. I mean, I’m going deaf, I’ve got tinnitus, my hands just about work. I mean, I am hoping that people will come along and see me for more than that [because] I am a curiosity. I know that is part of it, because it’s amazing to myself that I am still here.”

• Pete Townshend

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  Townshend has dealt with tinnitus and partial deafness for years and uses special in-ear monitors when performing to prevent further hearing damage.
• Jeff Beck

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  In an interview with 'FUZZ' magazine in 2001, Beck said of his tinnitus, "In the last year theres been a major improvement, although it does bug me incredibly from time to time. But for me - this is personally - its definitely in proportion to the quality of sleep. The poorer the quality of sleep, the louder the tinnitus, and the more troublesome."

• Phil Collins

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  Collins is back on stage again, but one of the reasons he stepped away from tour for so many years was due to issues with tinnitus.

• Ozzy Osbourne

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  The Prince of Darkness told 'The Sunday Times,' "I suffer from permanent tinnitus . . . which means I've got this constant ringing in my ears, which has also made me somewhat deaf...It's like this Whee! noise in my head all the time. Should have worn earplugs, I guess."
• Sting

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  Sting said in a 2016 radio interview that he had begun wearing hearing aids because of the hearing loss he had from tinnitus, but there was an unfortunate side effect. "I tried wearing a hearing aid, but I heard more than I wanted to hear," said Sting. "People talk a lot of sh-t! Unfortunately, there isn’t a bullsh-t filter on hearing aids."

• Neil Young

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  Young has been dealing with tinnitus for years and once said in an interview, "“I made 'Harvest Moon' because I didn't want to hear any loud sounds. I still have a little bit of tinnitus but fortunately now I'm not as sensitive to loud sounds as I was for a year after the mixing of [1991's Neil Young & Crazy Horse live album] 'Weld.' My hearing's not perfect but it's OK."

• Huey Lewis

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  Lewis has both Meniere's disease and severe tinnitus, which led to he and The News to cancel all of their 2018 tour dates when he suddenly lost his hearing.

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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

Category:

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• Music
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Tags:

Brian Setzer,Tinnitus