List of Rockers With Hearing Loss Grows 

• Electronica artist Moby got tinnitus after playing with punk bands and now wears earplugs consistently.

• Chris Martin of Coldplay has been struggling with tinnitus since 2002, but says the problem was arrested after he started wearing earplugs.

Why Hearing Loss Happens

Others with noise-induced hearing problems include James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum, John Densmore of the Doors and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. And it's no wonder.

Long periods of exposure to sounds exceeding 85 decibels, the equivalent of busy street traffic, is considered risky. The pain threshold is 125 decibels. The average rock concert is 115 decibels, 10 decibels below a jackhammer or ambulance. The permissible exposure time before damage occurs at 115 decibels is three minutes, according to data from 3M Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division. Sound systems in some arenas and stadiums can hit 140 decibels. That’s louder than a jet engine.

Music may be harmonious, exciting and dreamy, but it’s still noise.

"Noise can hurt you, even if it’s music," says Kathy Peck, executive director of HEAR (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers), a nonprofit she founded in 1988 with a San Francisco physician after both attended an exceptionally loud concert. "You don’t realize that the high or rush you’re getting from music can damage your hearing."

Peck, a former bass player for the Bay Area all-female rock band The Contractions, experienced hearing damage while performing in 1984 and developed tinnitus. She launched HEAR with assistance from such musical luminaries as Townshend, Metallica drummer Ulrich and promoter Bill Graham, as well as MTV, medical organizations and music trade groups.

HEAR’s chief aim is to raise awareness among musicians and fans about the dangers of repeated exposure to loud music. Its website, hearnet.com, offers risk assessments, referral links and information about custom earplugs, which are far more effective in preventing damage and evenly conveying sound frequencies than conventional earplugs. As for the cotton or tissue you stuff into your ears? They cut sound by a mere seven decibels.

"It’s always a great idea to have hearing protection at a concert," Peck says. "Cheap earplugs are good in a pinch, but customized earplugs stop the progression of hearing loss."

HEAR is particularly concerned about teens "who think they’re invincible," Peck says. But the organization also recognizes that huge numbers of older musicians and fans have not abandoned their passion for blaring rock.

"People in their 60s and 70s are still playing music and going to shows," Peck says. "And so many of them are suffering mild to moderate hearing loss. It’s a wide problem. But it’s never too late to start protecting yourself."