Mark McGrathis fearful that his days as a performer will soon be numbered after recently learning that he’s going deaf.
“I’m deaf now. I cannot hear any more,” hetold the outlet.“It’s years and years of being on the road and being two feet in front of cymbals and drums. So high frequencies, I can’t hear anymore. I’ll be listening to people and they’ll tell me their names and I can’t hear anymore.”
“It’s scary because my job is hearing,” he added. “[The future] is absolutely a worry of mine.”
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images
Because of that, McGrath said he’s been avoiding the earpieces for years, and subsequently damaging his hearing.
The formerCelebrity Big Brothercontestant went on to joke that he pursued music so he wouldn’t have to worry about his health, but his perspective has shifted in the past year.
Mark McGrath on stage performing.Chelsea Lauren/WireImage
“As I get older, my health’s going, I have knee problems, back problems. So I am working on the hearing now,” he continued. “It’s something that recently last year my doctor said you’ve got to step back a little bit.”
The star also noted thatHuey Lewis, from the 1980s and early ’90s pop-rock band Huey Lewis and the News, has served as a “warning” to him after the frontman was recently forced to stop touring due to hearing loss.
“The whole Huey Lewis thing has been a warning for all of this for sure,” he explained. “There’s a lot in play there. It’s one of those things you don’t even want to admit.”
“It’s like if you start losing your hair, you’re like, ‘I’m not losing my hair.’ But hearing is the same way, but it’s something I do have to get on it,” he said, adding that hiswife of 7 years, Carin Kingsland, has kept on him about being proactive to prevent further damage.
“You can’t repair your hearing,” he acknowledged. “Once it goes, it goes. You can hope to stop the damage.”
Carin Kingsland and Mark McGrath.Theo Wargo/Getty Images for SiriusXM
Sugar Ray launched into stardom in 1997 after the release of their hit “Fly.” The group put out six studio albums together and have continued to tour around the nation.
McGrath, meanwhile, released a solo album of his own in 2015. Aside from music, he’s also hosted several television shows includingExtra,Don’t Forget the Lyrics, andKiller Karaoke.
In 2018, McGrath appeared as a contestant onCelebrity Big Brotherand made it to the finale, but was eliminated in the final eviction ahead of the final two.
McGrath is also dad to 8-year-old twinsLydon Edward and Hartley Grace, whom he shares with Kingsland.
source: people.com
