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Huey Lewis & The News at Niagara Falls, Canada in The Avalon Ballroom Theatre At Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort 2017

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Huey Thanks The Music Supervisor of “Deadpool and Wolverine”

Come Out and See Sons Of Champlin on Labor Day in Novato, CA!

will huey lewis tour again

Stef Burns and Friends Return to the Bay Area!

Don’t miss News’ guitarist Stef Burns with guests Jim Funk, Jeff Campitelli, Jeff Watson, Ross Valory, Bill Gibson and Tal Morris on August 25th 2-5pm at Vino Godfather in Vallejo, CA. Tickets available here.

will huey lewis tour again

Huey Lewis Set to Star and EP Mockumentary Series in the Works at Fox

The half-hour series, titled “Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis,” will follow the rock ‘n’ roll legend as he navigates his life after losing his hearing. “With the help of his codependent family and eccentric celebrity friends, Huey will tackle this hilarious next phase with his signature Heart and Soul,” per the official logline. Read the full articleby clicking here.

will huey lewis tour again

Did you catch “Power of Love” featured in the new Deadpool movie?

As ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ heads toward the $1 billion mark at the box office by only its third weekend, we are proud to announce that the blockbuster also features “The Power of Love”! Listen to “Power of Love” by clicking here.

will huey lewis tour again

Huey Honored with Caricature on the Wall of NYC’s Famous Sardi’s Restaurant!

“Look who got their caricature up on Sardi’s wall. Pretty cool!” – Huey

Singer Daunielle “Pie” Hill Passes Away

Know by Huey Lewis and the News fans by her superb backing vocal contributions on the 2010 release, “Soulsville,” Daunielle “Pie” Hill passed away yesterday. Memphis born and raised, Daunielle came from a musical background. Her father, William Brown, was an original member of a vocal group that recorded for the Stax/Volt label called The Mad Lads and in addition did some engineering work at the famous Stax Volt Studios. Daunielle’s background vocals can be heard on albums from Solomon Burke’s “Nothing’s Impossible”   and Huey Lewis & the News’ “Soulsville”, as well as recent CDs from Cee Cee James, Sandy Carroll and Jackie Johnson. Daunielle also toured with Huey Lewis and the News for four years.

“Very sad news. Daunielle “Pie” Hill passed away this morning. She was one of the background singers on our Soulsville tour, and she toured with us extensively. She was a delight. Smart, funny, sweet, and talented, she brightened every room. My thoughts are with her family.” – Huey

will huey lewis tour again

Huey Talks About Willie Mays

So sad to hear about Willie Mays. National Treasure. So glad I got to spend time with him. We played golf twice. Sweet, funny, generous, and such humility. The greatest baseball player of all time. They don’t make em like that anymore. RIP – Huey

will huey lewis tour again

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL Musical Announces It’s Closing

We are sad to announce that The Heart of Rock and Roll Muscal will be closing it’s doors with it’s final performance being this Sunday, June 23rd. We are so thankful for the amazing support and reviews it has gotten and look forward to continuing the journey!

A NOTE FROM HUEY: Although we’re very disappointed that the show is closing on Sunday, we’re still very proud of it. It was the best reviewed show of the season and got much better reviews than the musical that won the Tony. We got slighted with no Tony nominations (politics, jukebox musical) and that was too big of an obstacle to overcome with as many shows as there are.

Nonetheless, we’ve had extremely good offers for the tour and for stock/amateur shows. And, International interest is very good. It looks like we will tour America with the show in 2025, and then hopefully put it up in London in 2026.

You can’t keep a good show down.

– Huey

will huey lewis tour again

THE HEART OF ROCK AND ROLL Original Broadway Cast Recording To Be Released June 14

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of the Broadway musical The Heart of Rock and Roll will be released on Friday, June 14 and will be available on all music streaming services!

will huey lewis tour again

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Huey Lewis and the News

Huey Lewis and the News

Latest setlist, huey lewis and the news on november 24, 2017.

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Huey Lewis and The News (formed in 1979) is an American pop rock and blue-eyed soul band, hailing from San Francisco, California, U.S.

Prior to the existence of Huey Lewis and The News, lead singer and harmonica player Huey Lewis and keyboardist Sean Hopper were members of the jazz-funk band Clover. The band moved to England, settled into the UK pub rock scene and later became the backing band for Elvis Costello’s debut album “My Aim Is True”. From 1972 Polygram issued two Clover albums that didn’t prove commercially viable and the band split up and decided to move back to California.

Lewis and Hopper went on to form the band American Express with bassist Mario Cipollina, saxophonist Johnny Colla, and drummer Bill Gibson. In 1980 after enlisting the help of lead guitarist Chris Hayes, at the request of their new label Chrysalis, the band changed its name to Huey Lewis and The News. The same year the band released their self-titled debut album however it caused no stir in the music world.

The group embraced pop with their subsequent album “Picture This” (1982) and included notable R&B and doo wop elements. The result spawned the Top 10 single “Do You Believe in Love”, the more minor hits “Help You Love Me Like You Say You Do” and “Workin’ for a Livin’” and helped put the band on the map. Coupled with this new exposure, Huey Lewis and The News toured extensively and were able to develop a strong following by the release of their third full-length “Sports” in 1983.

As a result of a series of humourous videos that earned considerable MTV airplay, "Sports" became a multi-platinum hit and spawned the singles “Heart and Soul”, “I Want a New Drug” and “The Heart of Rock & Roll” all which charted in the Top 10. The album made its way to the top of the Billboard 200 and went on to sell over seven million copies.

Taken from the popular film soundtrack Back to the Future, Huey Lewis and The News had their first No. 1 hit with the single “The Power of Love” in 1985. In 1986 the band returned to released the chart topping album “Fore!” aided by the five Top Ten singles “Stuck with You”, “Hip to Be Square”, “Jacob’s Ladder”, “I Know What I Like” and “Doing It All for My Baby”. In addition, the band had a strong presence in the film “American Psycho”, where the main protagonist Patrick Bateman kills one of his victims with the song “Hip to Be Square” blaring in the background.

The band followed “Fore!” up with the album “Small World” released in 1988, it however didn’t perform as well as its predecessors. “Hard at Play” was later released on their new label EMI in 1991 and produced the hit “Couple Days Off”. Despite declining sales, Huey Lewis and The News were afforded the touring and recording luxuries band's that have had previous mass appeal and went on to release an album of covers “Four Chords & Several Years Ago” in 1994. Subsequently, the band released “Plan B” in 2000, their first album of new material in nine years and the tribute album to Stax Records/Memphis soul “Soulsville” in 2010.

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Huey Lewis And The News enjoyed huge commercial success during the 80s and mid-90s and gained a global fan base so it is no surprise that the group shows no sign of slowing down their touring schedules years later as the demand to see the veteran rockers is still very much there. Their live show remains upbeat to match the tones of the music and the crowds of fans new and old are willing to keep bopping along with Huey Lewis and co.

Sticking to what one would describe to be a 'greatest hits' soundtrack, the audience are delighted to have the opportunity to sing along to classics such as 'Stuck with You' and 'If This Is It'. Huey is still a showman and swaggers around the stage attempting to whip the audience into excitement whilst his proficient live band concentrate on recreating the old school jams.

There is a huge cheer during the introduction to 'The Power of Love' a track the band created for the 'Back To The Future' soundtrack. It is fair to say that by the final beats of 'Workin' for a Livin'' it is pretty difficult to differentiate who enjoyed themselves more, the performers or the revellers.

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One of my all time greatest memories from the 80’s is Huey Lewis and the News. This was during the heyday of MTV. They have had so many great hits. Their music is upbeat and makes you want to dance. Every fan at the show was so friendly. I really think it’s the joy from the music that puts everyone in a great mood. It’s electrifying when the crowd roars with excitement when they begin to play their hits such as “The Power of Love”, “I Want A New Drug”, and “Hip To Be Square”.

I have had the pleasure of seeing them live in concert. What an incredible experience. There is so much excitement on the stage and in the audience. Every band member is playing with so much enjoyment. You can see how much they love playing. They are all dancing and having a great time. This energy really captivates the audience.

The entire audience is singing along to all the well known and loved songs. It is difficult to be at a Huey Lewis and the News concert without dancing. The atmosphere is like a giant party. It is such a great experience.

It was kind of an odd concert because it was after the Mets game at Citifield so the stage was set pretty far away (around 2nd base). Other than that it was great! So glad to get to see them. They even played a new song--when Huey introduced it he was pretty down to earth about it and acknowledged that the crowd probably didn't want to hear anything new, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it.

Sicksabes’s profile image

The venue is small enough that everyone has a great seat, but large enough to provide a great concert energy.

This was our second time seeing Huey and it was better than the first. He came out singing the hits, introduced the band and all the while engaging the audience.

We can't wait to see him again!!

carissa-oberholser’s profile image

Huey was absolutely amazing last night;his harmonica playing was incredible. I can't believe I waited 34 years to see such an electrifying, energizing show....he had everyone up dancing and singing. I can't wait to see Huey Lewis and the news again. I LOVE YOU HUEY!♥️

Peggyadams’s profile image

The concert was chocked full of hits. They did play one new song and some covers, but overall it was a greatest hits performance.

Huey has great rapport with the audience and even sang and signed a couple of autographs while on stage. Overall a great evening.

grega.oden’s profile image

An outstanding show, very, very cool. What a wonderful location which was much more intimate than you could experience in a theatre. I'd go again in a heart beat. Started on time which I didn't expect.

PeterCleland’s profile image

I loved every minuet of the show and didn't want it to end . I was hoping for at least on more encore and would love to see them again it was my favoite of the 4 concerts I saw at the pne in Vancouver .

robbie-chartier’s profile image

Finally I made it after 32 years. Great concert and performance, only a couple of songs were missing. He was so funny as always and looks he had a great time doing so. Definitely I'll see it again.

Dubelain’s profile image

Huey still has it!!!! Great show at Spyglass Ridge Winery last night! The band still sounds and looks good. They should be around for a long time yet. Can't wait to see them again!

tara-witmer’s profile image

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Huey Lewis: 'I haven't come to grips with the fact that I may never sing again'

An inner ear disorder that has rendered Huey Lewis unable to perform has forced the '80s hitmaker to deal with the possibility that he may not be able to return to the stage.

Lewis, 67, canceled all 40 of his remaining 2018 performances in April after revealing he is suffering from Meniere's disease, a disorder that causes vertigo, ringing in the ears and progressive hearing loss.

"I haven't come to grips with the fact that I may never sing again,'' Lewis told Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY Monday. "I'm still hoping I'm gonna get better. They say a positive attitude is important."

Huey Lewis and the News have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide with hits like "The Power of Love," "I Want a New Drug," and "Heart and Soul." After Lewis struggled to hear on stage at a tour stop in Dallas in March, he consulted multiple doctors.

Huey Lewis and The News cancel all 2018 performances. See attached note from Huey. pic.twitter.com/FbWqDlGwnR — Huey Lewis (@Huey_Lewis_News) April 13, 2018

"As I walked to the stage (in Dallas), it sounded like there was a jet engine going on,'' he said. "I knew something was wrong. I couldn't find pitch. Distorted. Nightmare. It's cacophony."

The disease has only affected Lewis when he's performing.

"Even though I can hear you, we can talk, I can talk on the phone — I can't sing,'' he said. "I can't hear music. I can do everything but what I love to do the most, which is a drag."

Huey Lewis And The News

Lewis said there is no cure for Meniere's disease, but doctors have told him his condition can improve.

"They don't know what it is,'' he said. "It's a syndrome based on symptoms, and it affects people differently. All they can come up with as treatment is diet. No caffeine, lower salt, and keep your fingers crossed.

"It can get better. It just hasn't yet."

Lewis has also been working with the Starkey Hearing Technologies , which has fitted him for a cutting edge hearing aid.

It was an excruciating decision for Lewis to have cancel the tour dates for the rest of the year. He has been touring for decades and can only remember cancelling about five shows.

"I want to say I'm sorry,'' he said to his fans. "Clearly we're not spring chickens, but I've always prided myself on being reliable. I really feel bad for my guys, my team that we've been doing this for so many years together."

His struggles also come at a time when he nearly has a new album finished and there's a Broadway musical in the works featuring his hits.

Lewis hopes to one day get back to singing the classics and doing what he does best.

"It's the most exhilarating feeling in the world,'' he said. "It's the most fun thing in the world."

Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter .

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Huey Lewis Opens Up About His Career-Threatening Hearing Loss and New Album 'Weather'

The '80s rocker was diagnosed in 2018 with Meniere's disease, an inner-ear disorder that causes hearing loss

will huey lewis tour again

Huey Lewis was backstage, preparing to rock a crowd at a private gig in Dallas on Jan. 27, 2018 when he heard a sudden roar. The sound was unrelenting, and literally deafening. “Like a jet engine, or warfare going on,” he tells PEOPLE. He turned to his band, the News, to see if anyone else heard it. No one did. “I said, ‘What is that ?’ And they said, ‘Oh that’s, that’s the opening act.’ I said, ‘You’re kidding me!’ That’s when I knew something was wrong.”

He went onstage and tried in vain to sing hits like “The Power of Love” and “If This Is It,” but the sound in his head made it impossible to follow the band. “I couldn’t find pitch, it was just the worst hour and a half of my life.”

Within months he had been diagnosed with Meniere’s disease , an inner-ear disorder that causes vertigo and hearing loss. Affecting roughly 615,000 in the United States, there is no known cure. The illness simultaneously robbed Lewis of his greatest passion, and the ability to share his gift. “It’s really weird,” says Lewis, 69. “Normally music is fun. You get in the middle of a song and it just sings itself, man. It just sings itself and you ride that wave. Now I have to just struggle to hear pitch.”

His 2018 tour was promptly canceled as he attempted to get his health under control. “That was the worst thing about it. I never was the greatest singer in the world, but I was reliable. I have 20-something guys and girls who we tour with. Some have been with me for almost 40 years now. But we had to let everybody go.”

For all the details on Huey Lewis’ struggle with Meniere’s disease and new album, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.

Lewis struggled with intense depression in the wake of the diagnosis. “I just laid in bed. I had terrible thoughts. I contemplated my own demise, actually, ” he admits. But with the help of loved ones, he came out on the other side. “I talked to my kids and my family. That helps. After a couple months, it turns out you can get used to pretty much anything. I started to think about people who are less fortunate than I am. I mean, I don’t have cancer. And I have all this wonderful support from fans.”

Lewis spends most of his time on his ranch in Montana, where he enjoys fishing and riding his horse. “You have to stay positive,” he says. “You can’t stress over this. And so I just try and stay creative. When I think of new creative stuff, that makes me feel better.”

On Feb. 14 he’ll release Weather , the first new album of original Huey Lewis & the News material in 19 years. They were in the midst of recording when Lewis received his diagnosis. “I waited, trying to see if I was going to be able to sing again, and I haven’t been able to. So we thought we’d release the record and share with the fans.”

The album’s lead single, a retro-tinged blues-rock track called “Her Love Is Killin’ Me,” has been kicking around for nearly 20 years as a work-in-progress. “We just couldn’t get it right. We played it live, then we tried to rearrange it somehow. And then we just dropped it. [News bandmate] Johnny Colla revived it with another horn arrangement. We tried it again and it just kind of clicked. It’s funny because it’s a simple song, but the simplest songs are the hardest ones to get right.”

Lewis is also working on bringing a jukebox musical of his hits, The Heart of Rock and Roll , to Broadway. “It’s a chance for all of these songs to get a whole new appreciation,” he says of the production, which opened to rave reviews in San Diego. The show features a new song by Lewis, “Be Someone,” written with orchestrator Brian Usifer and Johnny Colla. “I heard this song in my head but I can’t play with a band.”

His hearing continues to vary from day to day. “It can get so bad that I can’t hear the phone ring. Those periods can last as long as a week or eight days. I’m really basically deaf. I can hear if you’re a person talking right here maybe, but that’s it. With my hearing pieces, I can hear speech fine. But music is not so easy.”

Since his diagnosis, Lewis has fought the illness by undergoing a battery of tests and treatments ranging from steroids and acupuncture to low-sodium diets. So far, nothing has been completely effective.

“I’m hopeful my body will take care of itself,” he says. “I’m still fluctuating, so I take that to be a good sign. I hope my body can just find a way to defeat this thing.”

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Huey lewis still plans to entertain his fans despite hearing issues.

Is Huey Lewis about to go Hollywood, all over again? While visiting the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live for an onstage conversation Wednesday with Jimmy Kimmel, the '80s hitmaker — who’s been making the promotional rounds for 'Weather,' the first album of original material from Huey Lewis and the News in nearly two decades — revealed that since his hearing and ability to sing on pitch has been severely impaired since he was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, he may find a new creative outlet in acting.

By Scott Huver

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Huey Lewis Still Plans to Entertain His Fans Despite Hearing Issues

Is Huey Lewis about to go Hollywood, all over again? While visiting the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live for an onstage conversation Wednesday with Jimmy Kimmel , the ’80s hitmaker — who’s been making the promotional rounds for Weather , the first album of original material from Huey Lewis and the News in nearly two decades — revealed that since his hearing and ability to sing on pitch has been severely impaired since he was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, he may find a new creative outlet in acting.

“I enjoy acting,” Lewis, who’s had roles of varying prominence in Hollywood output like Short Cuts, Duets, Back to the Future, Hot in Cleveland and One Tree Hill , told the audience in the museum’s Clive Davis Theater. “Unfortunately, I don’t get a lot of parts because I’m a singer, not an actor — they go to real actors, but I really enjoy it, and if I can’t sing, I need to be creative somehow, so why not?”

Lewis made it clear that despite his hearing issues keeping him from live performance and thus far preventing him from returning to the studio, he was still very much engaged in entertaining audiences. Lewis also has a jukebox musical in the works featuring his band’s enduring hits — an enviable list including “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “I Want a New Drug,” “If This Is It,” “The Power of Love,” “Hip to Be Square” and many more — having recently staged an early incarnation in San Diego. “We’ve workshopped it in New York and partnered up with Tony Award-winning executive producer Hunter Arnold, and we’re going to try and get it to Broadway next season,” he revealed.

And there’s that new album, dropping Friday, cheekily titled to reference the biggest LP of his heyday, 1984’s Sports — which was itself a play on the band’s name. “We’ve got News, Sports and Weather . It’s like an AM radio station,” cracked Kimmel.

“And if I can get my hearing back, we’re going to do Business next,” replied Lewis without missing a beat.

Lewis conversed with Kimmel with little difficulty throughout the hourlong Q&A, but admitted he was having a rough hearing day. “It fluctuates, but it’s bad today; I go [on a scale of] one to 10, and I’m a two and a half today,” he revealed. “A six is as good as I’ve been since my hearing collapsed two years and a month ago.”

Lewis remained cautiously optimistic that his hearing will improve enough — through treatment, technology or healing on its own — to return to his musical endeavors. “We really don’t know. I thought I was kind of getting better for a while,” he said. “I was a six for nine weeks until Dec. 12. And as a six with my hearing aids, I’m pretty good … [I] could maybe even sing. I don’t know that, but I haven’t been able to figure it out because as soon as I’m booking a rehearsal, my hearing crashes.”

“So the prognosis, they don’t know,” he added. “There’s still stuff I’m trying, but unfortunately since Dec. 12, I was like a four or five for a handful of days, but the rest of the time I’ve been less than a three.”

Before the panel, Lewis also debuted his band’s new video for the song “Her Love Is Killin’ Me,” which also provided a nice through-line to the News’ tongue-in-cheek clips from the MTV days. The video featured a huge assembly of the band’s celebrity fans, including Brandon Flowers, Joe Montana, Brad Paisley, Jimmy Buffett, Trace Adkins, Sean Hayes, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick, June Lockhart and Kimmel himself, lip-syncing the new song. “I feel like that’s the closest I’m ever going to get to being on The Love Boat in the ’70s,” quipped the late-night host.

The cross-genre, cross-demographic and cross-generational appeal of the band’s music was something that Lewis said he felt was missing from the modern day industry.

“Today, society is much more integrated, but music is segregated — it’s weird,” he said. “You can listen to one kind of music all day long; you can listen to one kind of politics all day long — that’s just not healthy. And what was nice about Top 40 radio was it was an editing process where we all tried to have a hit. If you heard a Huey Lewis and the News song on KFRC, the next song might be a Garth Brooks song or a Commodores song or an AC/DC song. … It was an editing process that was, I think, kind of good, in retrospect. You can’t have a hit like that today. They just don’t exist.”

Throughout the conversation, Kimmel made no secret of his fanboy love for Lewis, which has blossomed over the years into a genuine friendship: The two go fishing together, and Lewis’ son Austin works on the host’s late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! Kimmel’s cousin Sal Iacono, a writer and regular castmember on the show, was also in the audience, as was bandleader and Kimmel’s childhood friend Cleto Escobedo III.

“Cleto and I have been very, very close friends since I was 9 years old and he was 10 years old,” Kimmel told Lewis. “He grew up across the street from me, and in 1984 Cleto broke into a boat and stole a carton of cassette tapes, and one of those cassette tapes was Picture This , your second album.” 

Lewis vividly recounted his various adventures in music-making with the skill of a natural-born storyteller, including the first time he heard himself with the band on the radio, when he and the members of the News had gathered together to hear “Do You Believe in Love” play on a station in the Bay Area, where the band was formed.

“I remember like it was yesterday,” he said. “They put it on and the song, and I remember thinking two things: One was, ‘Oh, my God, it sounds like somebody else!’ We had produced it ourselves and I’d sung it way too many times, but it just sounded like somebody completely different. And two, it sounded like a hit! I thought it was gonna be a hit.”

He also recalled a serendipitous moment in 1984 when his first mega-smash song was in heavy rotation. “I’m driving into New York City in a rent-a-car. … It’s big, heavy traffic and suddenly ‘Heart of Rock and Roll’ comes on Z100,” he recalled. “I’m listening to it and [the song] goes ‘ New York, New York, there’s no place that I’d rather be — honk, honk! ’’ And right at that moment, as we’re merging, a car in back of me goes ‘Honk! Honk!’ It was just wild!”

Lewis also revisited his time in the studio alongside a legion of music superstars when they recorded the culture-shaking charitable record “We Are the World.”

“It was an unbelievable evening, as you can imagine — I mean, you don’t get to meet these kinds of people in your life, let alone hang out with them,” he remembered. “I got Prince’s line. Prince didn’t show up for some reason — he boycotted the thing — and so I’m out there in the foyer somewhere after we’ve sung the whole chorus and somebody comes to me says, ‘Quincy [Jones] wants to see you.’ ‘Okay.’ I come out and he goes, ‘Hey, Smelly, come over here’ — Michael Jackson’s nickname was Smelly, because he was so clean. ‘Sing the line to Huey.’ Michael sang the line, and Quincy said, ‘Sing it, Huey.’ And I sang the line, and he says, ‘You got it.’ That’s how I got the part.”

A byproduct of that historic recording session would, surprisingly, lead to one of Lewis’ greatest career regrets. He’d grown up idolizing Bob Dylan (“He just painted the moon, as far as I’m concerned”) and found himself and Willie Nelson regaling the legendary folk singer about relieving on-the-road boredom playing golf. Not long after, “Dylan sent me a song — he sent me a song that I did not cut,” Lewis revealed. “He sent me a lovely note that said, ‘Huey, I loved your last record and I know the next one will be good, too. Here’s the song of mine I think you might like.’”

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Lewis admitted to the audience about his decision not to record the offered tune. Kimmel pointed out that Lewis has always followed his own instincts throughout his career, and Lewis laughingly conceded: “I’ve never been a good listener. And now I have an excuse.”

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Huey Lewis and the News Musical Will Finally Bring the ‘Power of Love’ to Broadway

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

The Heart of Rock and Roll will finally beat on Broadway , with the Huey Lewis and the News musical set to open in New York City next spring.

The musical will begin previews on March 29 at the James Earl Jones Theater, with the official opening scheduled for April 22. A cast for the Broadway production has yet to be announced.

Lewis celebrated the news — as well as the glories of musical theater — in a video announcement on social media. “I first fell in love with all that is Broadway when I appeared as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago in 2009,” he said. “And I continue to believe that musical theater, because it’s so demanding, is also the most rewarding form of artistic expression.”

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Per the show’s website , The Heart of Rock and Roll is a rom-com that tells the story of “a couple of thirty-somethings who know exactly what they want from life — until they find each other. A slightly more detailed synopsis in the Associated Press notes that the show centers around a down-on-his-luck, blue-collar musician ready to cast aside his rock and roll dreams for corporate America when his band gets one last shot at the big time.

The Heart of Rock and Roll was first announced back in 2018 and had an initial run at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego. The book was written by Jonathan A. Abrams, based on a story by Abrams and Tyler Mitchell. Gordon Greenberg is directing, while Lorin Lataro serves as the choreographer. As Lewis noted, the musical will feature some of the band’s biggest hits like “Power of Love,” “Hip to Be Square,” “If This Is It,” “I Want a New Drug,” and “Back in Time.” 

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The Story of Huey Lewis Is Not a Tragedy

Suddenly, and without warning, the beloved pop star lost his ability to hear amplified music. Now, from his remote Montana ranch, he's on a search for answers.

ESQ030120_090

If you lived through the 1980s, you will understand the strange and special thrill of receiving a concerned voice mail from Huey Lewis. “I’m going to see you tomorrow, but I need you to drive real slow,” Huey tells me, his indelible rasp turned fatherly. “There are a couple three days a year when the roads are really bad, man. And you’re in ’em.”

It’s 5 degrees the next morning when I drive to his ranch, an hour outside Missoula, Montana, on narrow state highways as much ice as road. When I pull in—carefully, as instructed—there he is, a solitary figure standing in the snow, an icon in camouflage, surrounded by snowcapped mountains. This is a place where Huey can do what he likes while he waits to find out whether he’ll have another chance to do what he loves.

We’re months away from the release of Weather, the first album of original Huey Lewis and the News music since 2001, and Huey doesn’t know if he’ll be able to perform again. Two years ago, he lost the ability to hear amplified music, to find pitch, to sing live. “When it’s really bad, I’m completely deaf almost,” he says. The title Weather was originally a nod to age and to the band’s breakthrough, Sports , but there’s a newer meaning than what we’re used to getting from Huey. It’s possible that with a lot of living still ahead, his last gig is behind him. “We’re getting a little weather now,” he tells me. “It’s not a perfectly clear day.”

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He shakes it off. “You wanna go on a sortie?”

Huey sizes me up and grabs some cold-weather gear out of his mudroom, and suddenly I’m bouncing around a Montana ranch in an ATV wearing Huey Lewis’s snow pants. His house looks like a traditional suburban home—Rick Reilly’s Trump book Commander in Cheat on the kitchen island, one of those rooster-shaped wire baskets full of keys and chargers, a picture of him with Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott on the counter to remind me I’m in a rock star’s kitchen—but it’s on a massive expanse of land not far from the Idaho border. He bought the property in the eighties and made it his home in the early 2000s after he and his wife split up, the kind of middle-of-nowhere place that makes a person understand the appeal of the middle of nowhere.

“I just think Huey brings to mind a better time.” -Jimmy Kimmel

As we bob around the duck blinds, over the irrigation ditches, he points out a bald eagle in a tree, a herd of whitetail deer bounding past. He’s content here. This is entertainment for Huey now that he can’t hear television or music.

It’s particularly cruel that music sounds like distortion to him, because the albums he made with the News were meticulous pop-rock, with the smoothest harmonies this side of the Beach Boys. It’s difficult to imagine from today’s perspective, but after the release of Sports in 1983, Huey was ubiquitous and well-liked. He had every subset of the 1980s American teenager on his side, like he was Ferris Bueller’s cool uncle. To know Huey Lewis and the News was to love them, whatever else you naturally enjoyed. You could, like me, not play sports and play the hell out of Sports. Huey represented a sensibly sexy mainstream masculinity: dimpled chin, haircut that rejected any recognizable trend, body just Soloflexed enough to pull off a red suit. The coolest guy at your dad’s work. He’s still craggily handsome as he approaches his seventieth birthday, a hero in a Clint Eastwood western.

" HUEY, A PLAYLIST BY DAVE HOLMES, CURATED BY HUEY LEWIS

“Those videos when we were teenagers all watching MTV at all times were just so appealing. The songs were great to sing along to, and the guys seemed to be having fun,” says his friend Jimmy Kimmel. “I just think Huey brings to mind a better time.”

In his upstairs office, among a few American Music Awards, a poster from his run as Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway, and the band’s one Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video, is a framed copy of the top two hundred albums from Billboard magazine’s June 30, 1984, issue, the week Sports finally hit number one, nine and a half months after its release. Behind Sports in the top ten: Van Halen’s 1984 , Thriller, Born in the U.S.A., the Footloose soundtrack. Purple Rain was released that week; Madonna would debut “Like a Virgin” at the first Video Music Awards weeks later. “This is the good stuff,” I sigh out loud. Summer 1984 was possibly the greatest summer in pop-music history, due to the genre gumbo of MTV and Top Forty radio.

Huey Lewis with Book and Light-up Duck

It was the height of the monoculture, and Huey sat on top of it, with weapons-­grade likability and a sound that didn’t quite conform to the trends. Although he gets lumped in with the superstars of the eighties, the songs of Sports —“The Heart of Rock & Roll,” “Heart and Soul,” “I Want a New Drug,” “If This Is It”—don’t sound dated. They don’t even sound like the sixties R&B that inspired them. They’re timeless. “A lot of the songs we wrote in our twenties and early thirties are actually more appropriate for a guy in his fifties,” Huey says. I nod excitedly, a guy in his forties who devoured the album when he was twelve.

Huey’s always been a man slightly out of his moment. He grew up mostly in Marin County, California. (If you are of a certain age, this is a thing you know, because Casey Kasem would say it over and over during the year and a half Sports pitched singles up the Top Forty.) Its proximity to San Francisco brought in its share of hippies, a counterculture for Huey and his friends to rebel against. Huey’s mother was one of the first Deadheads; she dabbled in hallucinogens and dated Charles Mingus when Huey was a teenager, after she divorced his father, a radiologist and jazz drummer. “We had to find our own thing,” he says. That thing was the local soul station, KDIA, its playlists thick with the music of Stax Records.

He left the West Coast after high school to busk around Europe for a year. “I played harmonica until my lips bled,” he says. Then he was off to Cornell University in upstate New York, before dropping out sophomore year in favor of more travel and more busking. (His father approved: “You need to woodshed on that harmonica, man,” Huey remembers him advising, well into the late eighties. “That’s something they can’t take away from you. This Huey Lewis shit is here today, gone tomorrow.”) He went back to London for a longer stay in the mid-seventies with his country-rock band Clover, just as punk was about to rip a hole through popular music. “Almost the day we landed in England, Johnny Rotten spit in the face of the first NME reporter, and the game was on.” The music wasn’t for him, but the punk spirit was. “With the punks, I saw these kids just thumbing their nose at the music business. They were just going, We don’t give a shit what you guys think. We’re going to sing our own songs our own way. And I thought, How liberating. And I vowed if my band ever broke up, that’s what I was going to do. Go back to Marin County and surround myself with my favorite R&B-based guys, and we’ll just play our local pub and see where the chips fall. That’s exactly what we did.” And that’s how I found out the guy who wore a polo shirt and black jeans to the beach in the “If This Is It” video was influenced by punk rock.

It makes sense. Huey’s more of a risk-taker than his spot in the mainstream would suggest. He convinced his label to pay for an unknown Stevie Ray Vaughan to open for the Sports tour. (The fans weren’t ready for it: “He’d be burning it down, and the crowd would go, ‘ Huuuey, Huuuey .’ It was the weirdest feeling, hating your audience.”) He touted Bruce Hornsby to indifferent record labels before finally producing three tracks on Hornsby’s debut album. Nowadays, Hornsby drops by the ranch and plays some Bill Evans tunes on the living-room piano. “He’ll just take your breath away, man.” Huey has been told good things about Hornsby’s excellent 2019 album, Absolute Zero, “but I haven’t heard it all, because my hearing is so fucked up.”

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For the past three decades, Huey’s been relying on one good ear. His right one went out just before a gig in Boston in the mid-eighties, and a specialist in San Francisco told him to get used to it. “You only need one ear,” he says. “Brian Wilson had one ear.”

Then came January 27, 2018.

Huey was backstage at a News gig in Dallas, and all at once the opening act turned into distortion. “They’re playing, and it sounds like it’s warfare ... like there’s an airplane taking off.” He went through with the gig, but even the sound in his in-ear monitors was a jumble. He couldn’t find pitch in his own music. “It was the worst night of my life.” An ear specialist put him on a steroid regimen for twenty-eight days. No change. He saw a rheumatologist, then an immunologist, then an otolaryngologist at Stanford. The best any of them could do was to diagnose it, and barely. “They tell me I have Ménière’s disease, but nobody knows what Ménière’s is. It’s a syndrome based on the symptoms. If you have vertigo, stuffed ears—like it feels like you just got out of a swimming pool—and hearing loss and tinnitus,” all of which Huey has experienced, “then they call it Ménière’s.” He shrugs. “But they don’t know what it is.” They also don’t know what causes it or how to cure it. His doctors have put him on a low-salt diet, but he’s not sure it’s helping. The condition might go away as it came on. It also might not.

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His friends and family call and text with ideas, specialist referrals, supplements—and around 100 percent of the time, he’s already checked the idea out. There’s a new bottle of supplements on the kitchen island courtesy of Kimmel. “Jimmy said, ‘Jen Aniston’s taking it.’ I said, ‘Bingo. Whatever Jen Aniston’s taking, I’m in.’ ” (It was a bit of a trick, admits Kimmel, who befriended Huey years ago after meeting him at a News gig: “I actually turned her on to those, but I knew he’d like hearing Jennifer Aniston takes them.”)

The temptation is to paint Huey as a tragic figure, but I don’t want to write a tragedy, not about Huey Lewis.

Two years have passed since Huey has done a proper gig, and the musical energy is all pent up. As we stand around his kitchen island, he summons music on his phone from a seventies-era act he loves called Rance Allen Group. Then he starts singing along: “Ain’t no need of crying when it’s raining,” Rance and Huey sing to me, “ ’cuz crying only adds to the rain.” Then the harmonica comes out, and he starts playing along, and there is so much pure joy radiating from him—a guy I love doing the thing he loves—that I’m almost sorry I’m going to die in his kitchen.

We can have this moment because the track is compressed, hitting our ears with the force of an iPhone speaker. “Doing this with a proper band,” he says, “with bottom end and drums roaring away and all that? That’s going to be hard.” Huey wears hearing aids that play a series of five tones when he puts them in each morning—“It’s an F chord,” he tells me—and if he can hear all of them, that’s a level 6 hearing day. Today is his twenty-­fifth level 6 hearing day in a row, a new record. If he racks up another week or two of 6’s, he’ll try to sing along to loud music. “What I got to do is get stabilized for a month, and if this works, then we’ll try a little rehearsal experiment. If that works, then we’ll try a full-blown rehearsal. If that works, then maybe book a gig. But I’m a ways away from that yet.”

The music went away slowly and then all at once. So what if it never comes back?

“I haven’t allowed myself to go there yet,” Huey says, worry in his voice. “I keep thinking I could maybe sing again. I get down sometimes, but it’s better to remember that life is okay. I’ve had a great run.” He is as upbeat as a man can be when he’s beginning to speak about himself in the past tense.

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The temptation is to paint Huey as a tragic figure, out in the middle of nowhere, waiting to see if his music career can come back to him as quickly and mysteriously as it left him. But I don’t want to write a tragedy, not about Huey Lewis. A positive outlook is the one thing all the doctors have prescribed, and after all the plays I got out of Sports and Fore! and Picture This, I owe him mine. If you know Huey, then you love him, and what is love if not belief and support?

When we check in several weeks later, the goalpost has moved again. “I had to cancel rehearsal,” he texts me. After nine weeks at a 6, three days before his first attempt to sing along to live music in two years, his hearing went to a 2. All at once. He doesn’t know why, and the doctors don’t either. The guy is curious and passionate about a million things—“He’s very smart about any number of subjects,” Kimmel says, “by which I mean all subjects”—but the one mystery he can’t solve is the one that keeps him from singing.

So now we wait to find out whether there will ever be another Huey Lewis and the News gig, and as we do, all we know for sure is that there ain’t no need of crying when it’s raining. In the meantime, Huey’s just being patient, trying his hardest to adjust to the quiet.

A version of this story appears in the March 2020 edition of Esquire. Subscribe

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Tragic Details About Huey Lewis' Life

Huey Lewis smiling

The following article mentions suicide.

Hugh Anthony Cregg III, better known to the world as Huey Lewis of Huey Lewis and the News, ruled the airwaves in the '80s. His guy-next-door good looks, coupled with a seemingly affable personality made him a standout among the hair bands and new wave artists of the decade. He rode the pop wave with mega hits like the catchy "I Want A New Drug" and "Heart and Soul," but it was "The Power of Love" that propelled him to superstar status. After all, that song was arguably the crown jewel of the soundtrack to the blockbuster hit flick "Back To the Future." Lewis' husky vocals took the song to the top of the Billboard charts, and it earned the singer an Oscar nod along the way for Best Original Song.

Lewis was not a celebrity who made news with stories of drugs, alcohol, or women left in his wake, but that doesn't mean that the singer led a charmed life. On the contrary, he has had many struggles throughout the years, including a failed marriage, lawsuits, a few flops, and an illness that put an end to his live performances once and for all. The artist will lift the curtain on his story in the mockumentary "Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis," currently in production for Fox. In the meantime, here's a look at a few of the tragic events that shaped the heart and soul of the iconic singer.

His parents divorce led to a battle for Huey Lewis' education

Huey Lewis' high school photo

Born in New York City, but raised in Marin County, California, Huey Lewis' parents were, as he described to journalist Jill Kramer , "bohemians." According to Lewis, his father was an amateur jazz drummer who expressed himself better through music than words. "My father never said I love you, even though I know he loved me," he said in an interview with Big Issue . "He was a hard ass and he just didn't do that." As for his Polish born mother, Lewis told Big Issue that she was "wild," adding that after her own parents died by suicide, she embraced the California beatnik lifestyle, drugs and all. "She was probably, if not the first hippie in San Francisco, one of the very first hippies," he said.

His parents' lifestyle wasn't conducive to a strong marriage, and they ultimately called it off when Lewis was a pre-teen. However, they continued to battle in court over their young son's education. Lewis' father wanted him to go to prep school in New Jersey, while his mother wanted him to stay put. "It was kind of an ugly scene," Lewis told Kramer. "The judge finally asked me if I really wanted to go and I said, yeah." With that, he went to school on the East Coast. He later admitted that he based his decision primarily on a photo of a girl in the school's catalog, but whom he never saw on campus.

A gap year abroad taught Huey Lewis some hard life lessons

Huey Lewis posing

Following his buttoned-up East Coast prep school education, Huey Lewis was accepted to Cornell University and was ready to continue his education. Once again, his father intervened, but this time in a decidedly non-traditional way. He encouraged his son not to go to college, but rather to take some time off and go to Europe. "I'd been to an aggressive prep school and he felt that education occurs at the high school level so that was all I needed," the singer said in an interview with Big Issue. 

Lewis grew his hair, packed his harmonica (a gift from his mother), and spent a year bumming around Europe and North Africa. It wasn't all fun and games, however. Lewis ran into some troubles when, while hitchhiking through Spain, his long-haired hippie look deterred many locals from picking him up. He would often sit on the side of the road for hours in hopes of getting a ride. A potentially more dangerous situation ensued when Lewis lost his passport while returning from Morocco. Not only was the American embassy closed for the weekend, Lewis was short of cash. "I've got 15 bucks to my name, and I know it costs $15 for a duplicate passport," he told journalist Jill Kramer in 2001. To resolve the problem, Lewis turned to music, playing his harmonica in a makeshift concert to earn the cash he needed to get home. 

Huey Lewis' marriage ended after six years

Huey Lewis performing

With his good looks, fame, and talent, you might think Huey Lewis would have had a string of supermodels on his arm, à la high-profile serial dater Leonardo DiCaprio . But in the '80s, the hunky harmonica player seemingly had eyes for just one woman, model and actor Sidney Conroy. In 1983, Lewis married the beautiful brunette in Hawaii, and went on to have two children, Austin Cregg and Kelly Cregg. It seemed that the power of love wasn't strong enough to sustain the union; while Lewis may have originally been happy to be stuck with Conroy, their  marriage ended in divorce after just six years. No, it was not the shortest celebrity marriage by any stretch, but it certainly didn't go the distance.

Lewis never remarried and has kept his love life on the down low. He has reportedly remained friendly with his ex and is close with his now grown children.

With his own upbringing fraught with disconnect and lack of verbal affirmation from his father, Lewis has said that he has made a point to be better with his children. In his aforementioned interview with Big Issue, he shared that he and his kids say "I love you" all of the time, and he described his son as his "best friend." "He has turned into this wonderful person who looks after his father," the singer said. "And I need some looking after. So I'm very pleased."

Huey Lewis accused Ray Parker Jr. of ripping off his song

Huey Lewis performing

Who you gonna' call? Your attorney! Having penned the smash "Power of Love" for the smash feature film "Back to the Future," Huey Lewis was no stranger to the Hollywood soundtrack scene. Yet, when he was tapped to write the theme for "Ghostbusters," the singer, who was at the top of his game, declined. Enter Ray Parker Jr. who was given the task of writing the theme in a mere three days. 

Here's where things get messy. Allegedly, Lewis' top ten single "I Want A New Drug" was used as a placeholder in some of the movie scenes sent to Parker for inspiration. And as far as Lewis was concerned, Parker's song stuck too close to his own song. Lewis sued Parker and Columbia Pictures for copyright infringement, and they ultimately settled out of court. Per the agreement, Lewis was to never speak of it again. That should have been it — but wait, there's more.

In an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music," filmed more than a decade later, Lewis made a snarky comment about the "Ghostbusters" situation that sparked more drama. "I suppose it was for sale, because, basically, they bought it," he said of his sound. Parker pounced on his remarks as a violation of the confidentiality agreement, and sued Lewis. The results of that case have seemingly not been disclosed. 

At the height of his fame Huey Lewis just said no to Coke

Huey Lewis posing

In the decade of "just say no" to drugs, Huey Lewis said "no" to Coke — as in the soft drink. During the cola wars, Pepsi and Coca-Cola were battling it out for consumer dollars, pulling out all the stops in an effort to top one another. 

In 1983,  Pepsi started making commercials featuring Michael Jackson . Not to be outdone, Coca-Cola turned to another big name pop star, Huey Lewis, reportedly offering him millions to seal the deal. "They told me I had the largest Q score of anybody in America," he shared in a Rolling Stone interview. "I didn't know what that meant, but they told me it was based on likability, recognizability, credibility and all that crap. They actually said to me, 'We think you have what we call 'Cokeness.'" 

Likability or not, Lewis shot them down, a decision he later seemed to regret. "In retrospect, it was probably a mistake," he told the magazine. "It could have been good for the career — forget the money." At the time though, he told CNBC , it felt like being a sellout. "We had just started selling out concerts, making more money than we'd ever made. And I thought why would I do this for money? I'm an artist. I'm an artist, and an idiot."

Huey Lewis experienced hearing loss at the height of his career

Huey Lewis performing

A few years after Huey Lewis' career took off, he lost his hearing in his right ear. "I couldn't shake it out or pop my ears," he recalled to Rolling Stone. "I went to all kinds of doctors and an EMT finally said to me, 'Get used to it.' I said, 'Get used to it? I'm a musician!'"

Years later, he'd learn that the root of the problem turned out to be a condition known as Ménière's disease, which is an inner-ear disorder. "It's a syndrome based on symptoms," the singer told Rolling Stone. "If you have fullness in your ears, vertigo, and tinnitus, they call it Ménière's, but they don't know what it is." 

He's not the only musician who has struggled with their hearing.  Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame and  Fleetwood Mac founding member Mick Fleetwood  are just some of Lewis' fellow rockers who suffer from hearing loss. Because Lewis' hearing loss was limited to one ear, he adjusted and continued his career without interruption as best he could until 2018.

Huey Lewis struggled with depression after losing his hearing

Huey Lewis posing

As previously noted, Huey Lewis suffered hearing loss in his right ear in the '80s, but he was still able to keep performing for decades. In January 2018, however, his hearing in his left ear dropped during a small show in Dallas. A few months later, he took to  X , formerly known as Twitter, to offer an update on how he was doing. "Although I can still hear a little, one on one, and on the phone, I can't hear music well enough to sing," he wrote. "The doctors believe I have Meniere's disease and have agreed that I can't perform until I improve."

Lewis tried everything to restore his hearing, ranging from meeting with world renowned experts to trying alternative methods. However, nothing worked, and he unfortunately had to shut the door on his career as a performer. In his aforementioned interview with Whitefish Review, Lewis opened up about how hard it was to come to terms with the reality of his situation. "In the first two months of this, I was suicidal," he confessed. "I can honestly share that with you. I thought, s***, I'm just going to commit suicide. I actually contemplated my demise." Thankfully, with the help of family and friends, Lewis said he was able to work through this difficult period.

Things got a little psycho for Huey Lewis with Bret Easton Ellis movie

Huey Lewis looking at camera

Two of Bret Easton Ellis' best-selling books, "Less Than Zero" and "American Psycho," went on to become iconic movies in their own right, but it was the latter that caused Huey Lewis to go a little psycho himself. In the book, the author spends quite a few words on Huey Lewis and the News, so when it came time to turn the book into a motion picture, the powers that be asked Lewis for permission to use his hit "Hip to Be Square." Lewis affably agreed to the song's use in the film, but he wasn't up for it being included on the soundtrack. As he told Rolling Stone , he wasn't interested in having his song on a record full of source music. "I said, 'Our fans have to buy this record for one song? Can we politely decline?'" he recalled.

The studio responded by releasing a statement about Lewis, claiming that he had a problem with the violent nature of the film and didn't want his music associated with it. Lewis told Rolling Stone that not only was not the case, but the studio's statement soured him on the flick. "So I boycotted the movie from there on. I refused to watch it," he said. In an interview with  M Live , the singer elaborated. "That was just a made up story they used to gin up enthusiasm for the premiere, which was kind of Hollywood and below the belt." 

Huey Lewis found himself on the hook in a fishing controversy

Huey Lewis posing

When he isn't writing catchy hooks, Huey Lewis is baiting them. An avid fly fisherman, he has spent much of the past three decades at his home in Missoula, Montana, fishing the waters, and fighting for the right to keep others from doing the same on his property. According to Lewis, he purchased property with an irrigation ditch that he claimed was exempt from Montana's Stream Access Law, which permits public access fishing in Montana waters. Lewis claimed he was targeted by locals because of his celebrity status. "It became cause celeb to go after these 'rich guys,'" Lewis told Whitefish Review in 2019. "They painted this picture of us coming in, buying property with public water, and fencing the public off from the water. Which was a lie."

Lewis spent the better part of 20 years defending his property, and although both the Conservation District and the District Court agreed that the so-called stream was in fact a ditch, the State Supreme Court disagreed and Lewis had to open the waters to the public. "And now the resource has been decimated," the singer told the magazine. "It's like 10 percent of the fishery it used to be." He added that the ruling was a loss for everyone involved. "The policies from on high are too access oriented. They don't consider the resource enough. Policy should start with the resource."

Perhaps to supplement his income Huey Lewis sold his music catalog

Collage of Huey Lewis album covers

Huey Lewis never quite found the same level of fame with his later albums that he did in his early days, but he still earned a nice living from touring and playing live gigs. When his sudden hearing loss forced Lewis to cancel his live performances, one can assume it put a sizable dent in his income. Perhaps that's why he sold the entire Huey Lewis and the News music catalog through 1994 to Primary Wave for a reported whopping $20 million. The deal includes the band's most familiar and best-selling hits from the height of their fame. 

Primary Wave Music's David Weitzman expressed his excitement about the acquisition of the iconic band's body of work in  Variety . "Their incredibly crafted songs still made me smile, remind me of that seemingly more innocent era, and make me want to sing along at the top of your lungs. Primary Wave look forward to working with Huey to create new opportunities for his storied song catalog into the future."John Luneau, Primary Wave Music's Senior Counsel, echoed the sentiment. "Our entire team is looking forward to working with them to generate new and exciting opportunities for their iconic catalog." 

Lewis, of course, isn't the first artist to sell his catalog, and he certainly made a good chunk of change from this deal. However, parting ways with his body of work presumably must've been bittersweet to some degree. After all, as Madonna once said in  Variety , "Ownership is everything isn't it?"

His Broadway musical The Heart of Rock and Roll stopped beating

Huey Lewis posing

His days of performing may have been taken from him too soon, but Huey Lewis found what he called "salvation" in the bright lights of Broadway with his musical "The Heart of Rock and Roll." "Well, we're very excited. We've been working on it for a long time," the singer-songwriter told People . "I lost my hearing seven years ago, so I can't sing or perform, but I can do this. And boy, it's been a salvation for me personally, and it's really been gratifying." The show featured Huey Lewis and the News' biggest hits, but "The Heart of Rock and Roll" didn't beat long. With only so-so reviews and no coveted Tony nods, It grossed less than $300 thousand and was shut down after just 24 previews and 72 performances. 

The Grammy-winning singer got teary during his remarks following the final performance, where he thanked everyone involved and expressed his sadness over the show's early end.  "I have thought about this show every day, almost constantly ... for almost 8 months now. And tomorrow, that's going to stop. And that's a very sad thing for me," he said per People . Lewis went on to share his love of the stage, and to praise the cast for their performances.  In his closing remarks, he added, "I'm not going to say goodbye, Broadway. I'm just going to say like we say in musical theatre: 'til we meet next time."

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Will Huey Lewis Tour Again? Exploring the Possibilities

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By Happy Sharer

will huey lewis tour again

Introduction

Huey Lewis is an iconic American singer-songwriter who has been entertaining audiences since the early 1980s. He rose to fame with his band, The News, and has released many memorable hits such as “The Power of Love”, “I Want a New Drug”, and “Do You Believe in Love”. Fans have been eagerly awaiting news about a possible comeback tour for the singer, but have yet to hear anything concrete.

In 2018, Huey Lewis was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease, which caused him to suffer from severe hearing loss. Since then, he has been unable to perform live and his future plans remain uncertain. In this article, we will explore the possibility of Huey Lewis touring again and what fans can do to support him in his journey.

An Interview with Huey Lewis on the Possibility of Touring Again

An Interview with Huey Lewis on the Possibility of Touring Again

In a recent interview, Huey Lewis discussed his current health condition and how it affects his ability to tour. He revealed that he is still dealing with some hearing loss and has had to adjust to a new normal. Despite this, he remains optimistic and is doing everything he can to improve his hearing.

When asked if a comeback tour is in the works, Huey Lewis said that it’s too soon to tell. He acknowledges that it may be difficult for him to perform as he used to, but he also believes that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. He is currently exploring medical treatments to help improve his hearing and is open to the idea of a comeback tour.

Huey Lewis’ Road to Recovery: Can He Tour Again?

Since his diagnosis, Huey Lewis has been undergoing various medical treatments to improve his hearing. He has seen specialists and received injections in his ears to reduce inflammation. He is also taking medication to manage his symptoms and is exploring alternative therapies such as acupuncture.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of his illness, there is no guarantee that Huey Lewis will ever be able to tour again. However, he remains hopeful and is willing to try whatever it takes to get back on stage. His fans can support him in this journey by donating to organizations that are researching treatments for Meniere’s Disease.

The Future of Huey Lewis and His Legacy

Huey Lewis has left an indelible mark on the music industry. He has created timeless songs that will continue to inspire generations to come. Even if he is unable to tour again, his legacy will live on through his music and the impact he has had on so many lives.

His fans have fond memories of seeing him perform live, and many are hoping for a comeback tour. They have started a social media campaign to show their support for the singer and to encourage him to keep fighting for his dream of getting back on stage.

Huey Lewis Fans Unite: Could a Comeback Tour Be in the Works?

Huey Lewis’ fans have been vocal in their support for a possible comeback tour. Many of them feel that they owe it to him to show their appreciation for all the years of entertainment he has provided. They are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that he knows how much they care.

They are doing their best to spread awareness about his illness and are encouraging others to donate to research organizations that are working on treatments for Meniere’s Disease. They are also organizing fundraisers and other events to show their support.

Revisiting Huey Lewis’ Greatest Hits: Will We See Him Perform Live Again?

Huey Lewis’ fans miss seeing him perform his greatest hits live. Songs like “The Power of Love” and “Do You Believe in Love” were staples of his concerts and are still loved by millions of people around the world. They hope that one day they will get to see him perform these songs live once again.

Will Huey Lewis Make a Comeback? Examining the Possibilities

At this point, it is impossible to say whether or not Huey Lewis will make a comeback. There are pros and cons to the idea of a potential comeback tour. On the one hand, it would be an opportunity for him to reconnect with his fans and share his music with them once again. On the other hand, it could be too physically demanding for him and might worsen his condition.

The decision ultimately lies with Huey Lewis, but his fans can do their part to make it happen. They can continue to show their support for the singer and donate to organizations that are researching treatments for Meniere’s Disease. They can also spread awareness about his illness and encourage others to join in their efforts.

Huey Lewis is an iconic singer-songwriter who has made an indelible mark on the music industry. His fans are eager to see him perform live again, but his hearing loss has put a stop to his touring plans. This article explored the possibility of a comeback tour and what fans can do to support him in this journey.

At this time, it is unclear if Huey Lewis will ever be able to tour again. However, his fans remain hopeful and are doing everything they can to make it happen. Only time will tell if a comeback tour is in the works, but until then, fans can continue to enjoy his music and cherish the memories of his amazing performances.

(Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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COMMENTS

  1. Upcoming Events

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  2. Official Huey Lewis and the News Website

    Tickets available here. August 11, 2024 . Huey Lewis Set to Star and EP Mockumentary Series in the Works at Fox . The half-hour series, titled "Whatever Happened to Huey Lewis," will follow the rock 'n' roll legend as he navigates his life after losing his hearing. "With the help of his codependent family and eccentric celebrity ...

  3. Huey Lewis on Living With Hearing Loss, New Album 'Weather'

    Huey Lewis on Living With Hearing Loss, New Album 'Weather'. Music. Huey Lewis May Never Perform Again. But He Refuses to Give Up. The Eighties hitmaker on his first album in a decade and the ...

  4. Huey Lewis Concerts & Live Tour Dates: 2024-2025 Tickets

    Find tickets for Huey Lewis concerts near you. Browse 2024 tour dates, venue details, concert reviews, photos, and more at Bandsintown. get app. Sign Up. ... they changed their name again. Huey Lewis and the News became their moniker. After a failed self-titled debut in 1980, the band finally broke through to Top 40 success with the gold album ...

  5. Huey Lewis & The News Concerts & Live Tour Dates: 2024-2025 Tickets

    Huey Lewis & The News Concerts & Live Tour Dates

  6. Huey Lewis Says Broadway Show Is His 'Salvation' After Hearing Loss

    Huey Lewis is opening up about his upcoming Broadway show. Speaking at the premiere of the Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop on Monday, Lewis, 73, exclusively revealed to PEOPLE that ...

  7. News

    Know by Huey Lewis and the News fans by her superb backing vocal contributions on the 2010 release, "Soulsville," Daunielle "Pie" Hill passed away yesterday. ... It looks like we will tour America with the show in 2025, and then hopefully put it up in London in 2026. You can't keep a good show down. - Huey. 14 Jun 2024. Share. THE ...

  8. Huey Lewis Opens Up About Freak Hearing Loss: 'I May Never Sing Again'

    Huey Lewis shocked fans when he canceled all upcoming tour dates, citing a battle with Meniere's disease that robbed him of his hear—now he says he may never perform live again By Jordan Runtagh

  9. Huey Lewis Tickets, 2024 Concert Tour Dates

    They played all of the favorites, along with some new ones, and kept the crowd on their feet the whole show.". Buy Huey Lewis tickets from the official Ticketmaster.com site. Find Huey Lewis tour schedule, concert details, reviews and photos.

  10. Huey Lewis and the News

    Find concert tickets for Huey Lewis and the News upcoming 2024 shows. Explore Huey Lewis and the News tour schedules, latest setlist, videos, and more on livenation.com ... Remind Me Why I Love You Again. 3. Doing It All for My Baby. 4. I Want a New Drug. 5. Her Love Is Killin' Me. 6. Jacob's Ladder. Bruce Hornsby & the Range cover: 7.

  11. We are excited for 2024, when our...

    We are excited for 2024, when our musical, Heart of Rock and Roll on Broadway, hits Broadway! Thank you for your continued support and Happy New Year from Huey Lewis & The News.

  12. Huey Lewis talks new Broadway musical, 'devastating' hearing loss

    Huey Lewis says Michael J. Fox supported him through hearing loss: 'We're really a pair'. NEW YORK - " The Heart of Rock and Roll " doesn't aim to be high art. "It might not change your ...

  13. Huey Lewis And The News Tour Announcements 2024 & 2025 ...

    Unfortunately there are no concert dates for Huey Lewis And The News scheduled in 2024. Songkick is the first to know of new tour announcements and concert information, so if your favorite artists are not currently on tour, join Songkick to track Huey Lewis And The News and get concert alerts when they play near you, like 289248 other Huey ...

  14. Huey Lewis discusses hearing loss and cancellation of 40 tour dates

    Huey Lewis has been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, an inner ear disease that left him unable to perform. 'I may never sing again,' Lewis claims as he cancels 40 tour dates.

  15. Huey Lewis and the News Tickets

    Rating: 5 out of 5 Huey Lewis hasn't lost a step! by PaulGr on 11/5/17 The Avalon Ballroom Theatre At Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort - Niagara Falls. We saw Huey Lewis and the News for the third time in the past 35 years or so. First off, the Avalon Ballroom is a great venue, very intimate with great views.

  16. Huey Lewis Talks Coping with His Career-Threatening Hearing Loss

    Huey Lewis Opens Up About His Career-Threatening Hearing Loss and New Album 'Weather'. The '80s rocker was diagnosed in 2018 with Meniere's disease, an inner-ear disorder that causes hearing loss ...

  17. Huey Lewis Still Plans to Entertain His Fans Despite Hearing Issues

    Is Huey Lewis about to go Hollywood, all over again? While visiting the Grammy Museum at L.A. Live for an onstage conversation Wednesday with Jimmy Kimmel, the '80s hitmaker — who's been ...

  18. Huey Lewis and the News Musical to Open on Broadway in Spring 2024

    The Huey Lewis and the News musical, 'The Heart of Rock and Roll,' will finally open on Broadway in spring 2024. ... Announce 2024 World Tour and Album Rich Homie Quan, Atlanta Rap Staple, Dead at ...

  19. Huey Lewis Concert & Tour History

    The songs that Huey Lewis performs live vary, but here's the latest setlist that we have from the August 12, 2017 concert at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California, United States: Huey Lewis tours & concert list along with photos, videos, and setlists of their live performances.

  20. The Story of Huey Lewis Is Not a Tragedy

    We're months away from the release of Weather, the first album of original Huey Lewis and the News music since 2001, and Huey doesn't know if he'll be able to perform again. Two years ago ...

  21. Huey Lewis and The News Tickets & 2024 Tour Dates

    Top Pop Tour Tickets Available Now. If you're a Huey Lewis and The News fan and a Pop lover in general, check out tickets for some of the top Pop acts who have recently announced tours: Get Huey Lewis and The News tickets, 2024 - 2025 tour information and the Huey Lewis and The News concert schedule from Vivid Seats. 100% Buyer Guarantee!

  22. Huey Lewis and The News Concert & Tour History

    1,537 Concerts. Formed in 1979 in the Bay Area, Huey Lewis and the News catapulted to the top of the charts with the release of its third studio album "Sports" in 1983. The album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart the following year. In 1985, Huey Lewis and the News released the single "The Power of Love" for the film "Back to ...

  23. Huey Lewis: Tragic Details About His Life

    Hitmaker Huey Lewis has weathered a lot of ups and downs, from divorce to legal issues to a health condition that interfered with his career. ... Once again, his father intervened, but this time in a decidedly non-traditional way. He encouraged his son not to go to college, but rather to take some time off and go to Europe. ...

  24. Will Huey Lewis Tour Again? Exploring the Possibilities

    An Interview with Huey Lewis on the Possibility of Touring Again An Interview with Huey Lewis on the Possibility of Touring Again. In a recent interview, Huey Lewis discussed his current health condition and how it affects his ability to tour. He revealed that he is still dealing with some hearing loss and has had to adjust to a new normal.