In a candid new interview, synth-pop legend Gary Numan has revealed the extent of his physical struggles, confessing he is now “90% deaf” following decades of high-volume performing.
Appearing on the podcast 'I’m ADHD! No You’re Not', Numan pointed to the hearing aids he now relies on to communicate. “I’ve got hearing aids on... little things there,” he told hosts Paul Whitehouse and Dr. Mine Conkbayir. When Whitehouse joked that Numan’s ears were "done" from plugging into Les Pauls and amplifiers at maximum volume for 50 years, Numan agreed, noting that the hearing loss was one of the factors that eventually ended his hobby of display flying.
The "Cars" singer also waded into the debate over Artificial Intelligence in music, taking a firm stand against licensing his catalog to generative platforms. While fellow artists like Dave Stewart have suggested musicians "bow to the inevitable," Numan remains a skeptic.
“What you are listening to [with AI] is a learned copy of a human experience. It’s not real,” Numan argued. “When you’re listening to a song written by a human... you are listening to that person's experience. And that’s why it resonates with people.”
Numan, who is open about his Asperger’s diagnosis, explained that his creative process is too personal to outsource. “I certainly don’t want it to write lyrics because that’s the very essence of what the song is about. Musically, although I struggle and I’m worried all the time whether it’s good enough, it has to be mine.”
He predicts a short-term fascination with AI bands, similar to the ABBA Voyage show, but believes fans will eventually crave authenticity. “It will go full circle and people will want to go back to sharing a human experience.”
'I’m ADHD! No You’re Not' is available on all podcast platforms every Thursday.
