celebrities with tinnitus

Back to reality.

Back to work after two weeks vacation.

Back to running after almost as much time off. I went for a little scoot tonight (2.5 miles) and it's painfully obvious to me that I've lost some fitness this Christmas season. Time to get serious once again.

I wanted this post to be about tinnitus. So I began to research some very basic facts about the condition, however before I present any of them here, I think it is important to note that there is alot of information on the Internet about tinnitus. Some of it is endorsed by doctors and other members of the medical profession, some of it is not. As with any other topic that you read about on the net, you have to tread carefully, and of course none of the information can be taken as gospel, unless of course you're using sources whom have proven themselves credible, such as those listed on the left here under the heading 'Tinnitus Sites'.

There are many things about tinnitus that are not known or understood, especially the causes. I will devote some time in the future to discuss all of the possible causes, but for now I'll focus on the prevalent cause - exposure to loud noise.

It is estimated that 17% of the population suffers from tinnitus. This equates to 44 million Americans and over 5 million Canadians. In addition, 5% of the general population is severely debilitated by their tinnitus. Those numbers seem pretty slim on the 'grand scale' and I suppose relatively speaking, they are.

But what I found interesting after doing a little more research is how untrue that notion really is. I sought out the names of celebrities (especially musicians) who are afflicted with tinnitus. I was surprised by the number of famous names that turned up. As you read through the list, you may be moved by the familiarity of some of the names. To me, this demonstrates just how common tinnitus is.

Neil Young - blames his tinnitus on loud music
Barbra Streisand - it is said that her volatile temperament can be attributed to tinnitus
William Shatner & Leonard Nemoy - both say they acquired tinnitus during a prop explosion on the set of Star Trek in the 60s. Shatner has been fairly vocal about his suffering and has spoken of his depression and considerations of suicide due to tinnitus.
Engelbert Humperdinck - I'm not clear on the story here, but I really like to say this guy's name
David Letterman & his sidekick Paul Shaffer - again I don't know the details...
Eric Clapton - loud amplifiers
James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich - both members of the band Metallica.
Ted Nugent
Bono & The Edge - both from U2. Some of U2's lyrics allude to the sounds of tinnitus
Huey Lewis - this one is a little coincidental - my dad bears a striking resemblance to this man
Ozzy Osborne - I'll just leave that one alone
Phil Collins - they say he actually cut back on his performances because of his 'T'?
Peter Jennings - famous journalist and news anchor
Vincent Van Gogh - maybe that is why he cut of his ear???
Ludwig Van Beethoven - famously deaf and famous tinnitus sufferer. This great composer was driven mad by "rushing and roaring sounds" in his head.
Keanu Reeves
John Densmore - drummer for The Doors. Listen to what Ray Manzarek, from The Doors says about Densmore's future as a musician - "Tinnitus, man, you can't...You know, there's nothing you can do about it. It doesn't get better. It can only get worse--that's the hell of that thing. You'd say, 'Well, you know, when it's better, you're gonna play, man.' Well, it doesn't get better. The nature of that problem is that it can only get worse."
Jerry Stiller - Frank Costanza on Seinfeld
Sylvester Stallone
Burt Reynolds
Sting
Neve Campbell

I found there were alot more celebrities, but there names weren't as easily recognizable as some of those listed here.

Like Englebert, for instance.