Do rock stars need hearing aids when they get older from the constant loud music?

The ones who do not wear earplugs probably do. Modern “rockstars” often don’t play big venues anymore and most also wear stealthy hearing protection.

I heard Pete Townsend is half deaf from years of concerts.

I saw Motley Crue last year and it was so loud for us sitting in the audience, I don’t know how those guys aren’t half deaf themselves.

I would bet money many of them have hearing loss. They do protect their ears a lot, but they also are exposed to a lot of loud music. My guess is when they were young they probably did a lot of damage, because I assume they loved music and often went to concerts and didn’t always protect their ears when playing their own instruments. I have some hearing loss and I blame some of it on my clubbing days in my teens.

@jca: That is true about Pete Townsend. He spoke about having significant hearing loss during an interview once.

Pete does indeed have hearing damage, but that might have been caused by Keith Moon quadrupling the explosives in an onstage burst that went off next to Townshend’s ear.

A lot of musicians suffer from tinnitus (for example: Neil Young, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton). This is typically caused by performing without protection for their ears. And yes, Ozzy Osborne has significant hearing loss, as do all the members of The Who (though Townshend’s is apparently the worst). My father is a musician, and he has used ear protection since his 30’s. Nevertheless, he also has some hearing loss. If you play in a loud band for a living, it’s just about inevitable.

Towshend has even started an ear protection movement for musicians, and is quite vocal about making producers provide ear protection for concerts. Notice in the last 15 years that you can get ear plugs free at concerts?

Many musicians now use in-ear monitors, which provide a clear, quality audio feed (one that’s typically superior to traditional wedge and speaker stage monitor set ups) that also remain at a safe volume level for the musician.

Def Leppard hahahahaha…
Townshend was placed on the sex offenders list in the early noughties for using his credit card to access child porn, also, his face looks like yours when you look in the back of a spoon.