Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath Reveals He's Going Deaf: 'It's Scary'

Mark McGrath is losing his hearing. The Sugar Ray lead vocalist, who became a pop-rock sensation in the '90s for hits like "When It's Over," "Fly," and "Someday," made the tough admission this week during an interview with DailyMailTV.

“I’m deaf now. I cannot hear any more,” McGrath told the outlet. “It’s years and years of being on the road and being two feet in front of symbols and drums. So high frequencies, I can’t hear anymore. I’ll be listening to people and they’ll tell me their names and I can’t hear anymore.”

“It’s scary because my job is hearing," the 51-year-old said, adding that the future of his career is "absolutely a worry of mine.”

McGrath said audiologists have advised the musician to wear a type of hearing aid called in ears. These earpieces, while useful for blocking background instruments, can also hinder the performer from hearing noises in the room. The vocalist's decision against using in ears all these years, he explains, has taken a toll on his hearing.

“Fortunately for the new generation, they have in ears. I’m dumb enough not to use them though,” he remarked. “I still need the sight sounds and smells of a concert and that includes the auditory part, but unfortunately, mine’s going.”

McGrath also remarked how Huey Lewis warned him about this when the Huey Lewis and the News frontman was forced him into retirement last year after abruptly losing his hearing to Meniere's disease. “The whole Huey Lewis thing has been a warning for all of this for sure,” he explained. “There’s a lot in play there. It’s one of those things you don’t even want to admit.”

“You can’t repair your hearing,” McGrath added. “Once it goes, it goes. You can hope to stop the damage.”

Despite the setback, however, the vocalist is slated to continue touring through the remainder of the year.

Photo: Getty Images