AC/DC’s Brian Johnson reveals hearing loss was caused by bout of flu
AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has revealed his hearing loss that caused him to quit their 2016 tour was caused by a bout of flu.
A decade ago, it seemed that Johnson’s days as the frontman of AC/DC were over when he had to step away from touring duties, with Axl Rose stepping in as his deputy to ensure the shows still went ahead as planned.
Thankfully, Johnson was able to make a return to the stage in 2023 for their live comeback at Power Trip in California, and since then, AC/DC have continued to tour the world with Johnson showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, despite being 78.
Understandably, due to his profession and spending his adult life surrounded by some of the loudest amps known to man, many assumed that Johnson’s hearing was caused by his dedication to rock ‘n’ roll.
However, in a new interview with USA Today, Johnson has revealed that it was caused by a bout of flu that he suffered while on their Rock and Bust tour.
He recalled, “We were in Winnipeg or somewhere like that and it was cold and wet and you’re sweating. But it’s freezing and you have to quick, hurry up, get on the plane and we took off and my ears got so crystallized and the rest was just nasty.”
Much to Johnson’s delight, he’s come through the ordeal, adding, “But anyway, I’m a happy ending.”
He also showed the interviewer the piece of technology, called ADEL (Ambrose Diaphonic Ear Lens), which sits in his ear canal in order to allow him to perform.
Previously, in 2022, shortly after he made a guest appearance at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at Wembley Stadium, Johnson admitted that he thought his life on-stage was over.
The English singer told Rolling Stone, “I had the time of me life. It was great. I did ‘Back in Black’ like I was 25, yee-haw, and then ‘Let There Be Rock’ was just fabulous. I thought I was done. That was it. ‘Forget about it. Thanks very much. Next.’ But I got through it.”
After getting their North American tour underway in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 11th, the rock powerhouses have brought the noise to Columbus and Madison. Next up is San Antonio, which will be followed by stops in Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Edmonton, Vancouver, Atlanta, and Houston over the next month.
AC/DC are set to stay in North America through September, with the final show scheduled to take place in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field on September 29th.
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