Overview
- The electronic-rock pioneer said in a recent podcast interview that he is about 90% deaf and now relies on hearing aids.
- He linked the loss to years of playing through loud amplifiers and said the impairment helped end his display-flying hobby.
- Numan rejected licensing his catalog to generative AI, arguing machine-made tracks copy human experience rather than create it.
- Despite the hearing loss, he remains booked through 2026, including a Crystal Palace Park show in August and the Darker Waves festival in November.
- Research cited in the coverage says musicians are about four times more likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss and 57% more likely to have tinnitus than the general public.