John Mellencamp says he’ll ‘probably be totally deaf’ after upcoming tour as hearing problems worsen

John Mellencamp says his hearing has worsened to the point that conversations in noisy places have become difficult, and he expects it could deteriorate further during his upcoming tour. The 75-year-old musician plans to keep performing despite the problem, which he says affects his daily life as well as his ability to hear.

He described persistent ringing and pulsatile tinnitus, which makes him hear his heartbeat, and said loud music over the years may have contributed. Mellencamp says he wears earplugs but has no plans to use hearing aids, citing advice from his grandmother that they would be difficult to manage. The article also notes that “Pink Houses”, released in 1983, reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.