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John Mellencamp, 75, Says ‘I Can’t Hear’ but Won’t Get Hearing Aids

The singer says ringing in his ears makes it hard to follow conversations and puts him off going out to dinner

3-minute read

Donna Freydkin,

AARP

Published November 02, 2026

John Mellencamp performing onstage with a guitar

John Mellencamp, performing on Sept. 26, 2026, says he is losing his hearing but will not get hearing aids.

Gary Miller/Getty Images

Key takeaways

John Mellencamp says hearing loss and ringing in his ears make restaurant conversations difficult.
He wears earplugs but says he will not get hearing aids, citing advice from his grandmother.
Hearing aids can help some people with both hearing loss and tinnitus, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

John Mellencamp has reached the point where going out to dinner means struggling to follow the conversation. But the singer, 75, has ruled out hearing aids.

In restaurants, he said, surrounding noise makes it difficult to hear other people.

“I don’t like going out cuz I can’t hear,” he said on the Nepo, Baby! podcast, in an episode posted Oct. 29.

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Mellencamp appeared on the podcast with his son Hud at his Indiana studio. Mellencamp, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, is best known for hits including “Jack & Diane” and “Hurts So Good.” During a conversation about family dinners, the singer described what he was experiencing in that moment.

“Right now my ears are ringing like crazy,” he said. “I have tinnitus, which is, I hear my heartbeat.”

Tinnitus is a condition that makes people hear sounds even when nothing around them is making noise, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can also sound like buzzing, clicking or humming in one or both ears. The noise may come and go or never let up, sometimes making it hard to concentrate or hear other sounds.

When a host brought up touring, Mellencamp replied, “I probably will be totally deaf by the time the tour is over.”

That was his prediction, not a medical prognosis. He said he wears earplugs, then explained why another form of help was off the table.

“My grandmother told me, she said, ‘John, don’t ever get hearing aids, because once you get them, you can’t live without them,’ ” Mellencamp said.

He recalled her warning about having another item to keep track of. But hearing aids can make restaurant conversations easier to follow and reduce the exhaustion that comes from straining to hear, according to the National Council on Aging. They can also help people feel more comfortable going out and staying connected with family and friends.

What tinnitus can sound like

In AARP’s guide to tinnitus, Grant Searchfield, head of the audiology department at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, explained how the brain can get caught trying to identify a sound with no outside source.

“Because the brain can’t make sense of it, the sound becomes the forefront of attention,” Searchfield told AARP.

That focus can make the sound seem louder. “It’s an unfortunate side effect of how the brain works,” he said.

For some people, the effects go beyond their hearing. Tinnitus can interfere with sleep and concentration and contribute to anxiety and depression.

There is no cure for tinnitus, but there are ways to make it less disruptive, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. For people with hearing loss, hearing aids can make outside sounds easier to hear and the tinnitus less noticeable. Sound therapy can help mask the noise, while cognitive behavioral therapy can help people manage the distress it causes.

Loud music can take a toll

Mellencamp joins other musicians who have spoken about hearing problems. AARP has reported on Eric Clapton’s hearing loss and regret over not wearing earplugs, Dave Grohl’s reliance on lipreading and Pete Townshend’s hearing difficulties dating to the 1970s.

“Noise can hurt you, even if it’s music,” Kathy Peck, executive director of Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers, told AARP.

Peck, a former bass player for the Contractions, developed tinnitus after experiencing hearing damage while performing. Her organization educates musicians and fans about protecting their hearing.

If conversations are getting harder to follow, start with a hearing check. A specialist can test your hearing and determine whether hearing aids could help, the Mayo Clinic advises. The devices make softer sounds louder, but they can’t bring back all the hearing you’ve lost or block out every background noise. Getting used to them takes time, and follow-up visits can help fine-tune the fit and sound.

Donna Freydkin has spent 10-plus years interviewing celebrities for major publications, and has written for a variety of outlets such as USA Today, Allure, Yahoo! and CNN covering topics such as films, family and favorite meals.

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