Huey Lewis was so upset after he was diagnosed with hearing loss, he considered ending his life.
The Power of Love singer was forced to scrap a string of tour dates last year (18) due to complications linked to Meniere's disease, a chronic condition with symptoms including vertigo and tinnitus, and doctors urged him to take a break from touring or risk losing his hearing for good.
Lewis reveals he struggled to accept the diagnosis, even considering suicide when he discovered he'd be unable to perform with ease ever again.
"This (his diagnosis) has ruined everything." he tells the Whitefish Review. "I try not to let it get me down. In the first two months of this, I was suicidal. I can honestly share that with you. I thought, 'S**t! I'm just going to commit suicide'. I actually contemplated my demise. You know, like, pills. I figured pills were the easiest way to go. I mean, would I have? I don't know."
Thankfully, things turned around for Huey pretty quickly and he and his Huey Lewis and the News bandmates recently unveiled tracks from their first new album in almost two decades. Lewis credits the support of his fans for helping him through the dark time.
"The fans have been amazing... The support I get from people, ordinary people, is amazing," he said. "Because when you do this, you don't think about that. You do it because you're just writing a song. You're having fun, and you don't realise you're affecting people's lives. And I get these letters from people who have cancer or they're debilitated somehow or have life-threatening stuff going on."
