“He’s plugged a Les Paul Columbus in 40 years ago at maximum volume and now his ears are done”: Gary Numan claims to be “90% deaf”

Gary Numan recently appeared on the ‘I’m ADHD! No You’re Not’ podcast alongside hosts Paul Whitehouse and Dr. Mine Conkbayir, where he revealed that he is now “90% deaf”.

The podcast episode ‘Gary Numan: I Wasn’t Good Enough When They Needed Me to Be’ aired on 2nd April and is available to listen to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and BBC Sounds.

Topics included appearing on Celebrity Help! My House Is Haunted, family life, neurodivergence, and getting thrown out of a room by David Bowie, amongst other things, and it was revealed that Gary is now 90% deaf and has to wear hearing aids to go about his day-to-day life.

About an hour into the podcast, the Are 'Friends' Electric? and Cars star, who is a fully qualified pilot, also revealed he had stepped away from flying.

Listen to the podcast on Spotify here.

This is not only due to an abundance of caution – Numan is now a father of three daughters: Raven, Echo and Persia but also, he claimed, because he’s now “90% deaf”, leading Whitehouse to quip: “He’s plugged that old Les Paul Columbus in 40 years ago, maximum volume and now his ears are done.”

The candid conversation between the trio highlights longstanding concerns in the music industry for ear health and protection. The Hearing Health Foundation claims professional musicians are nearly four times as likely to develop noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) compared to the general public.

The charity also explains, “They are also more likely to experience tinnitus, or ringing in the ears. Hearing damage can affect everyone in the music industry, including backstage crew, front of the house staff, as well as bartenders, waiters, and other staff at bars, nightclubs, and restaurants—anywhere where music may be played loud.

“Hearing loss can develop from repeated exposure to loud sounds, according to the British Medical Journal. Over time, loud sounds will irreparably damage the sensory hair cells of the inner ear that send sound information to the brain to interpret.

"There is also evidence that loud sound also disrupts how cells transmit information via synapses, leading to what is termed hidden hearing loss because it’s not easily detected by traditional hearing tests.”

Hearing loss for musicians is no joke, but the good news is it’s preventable. Check out our buying guide of the Best earplugs for musicians 2026 to see products that can save your ears.