Saxon front man Biff Byford says he has both hearing loss and tinnitus
Singer Biff Byford of the British band Saxon is wearing hearing aids after being exposed to loud music for over 40 years. They have greatly improved his overall quality of life, he says.
"I discovered heavy metal music as a teenager, so I've been around high decibels and loud equipment for over 50 years," he continues. "Back in the day at gigs, sound restrictions didn't exist like they do now. Sometimes when performing, we would put our heads right into the speakers and rock out “, he told www.blabbermouth.net.
Could not hear well
"I remember being at an autograph signing session and the fans kept asking questions and trying to talk to me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying so I kept saying 'yes' over and over again. I knew my hearing was gradually getting worse, but I lived with it. I would be at the studio and my tinnitus would be awful, it sounded like someone was screaming in my ear”, he also said to Blabbermouth.
"My hearing problems were also affecting my personal life as well. Dinner time with my family was especially hard. I found it difficult to keep up with conversations so gradually after time I just stopped trying. I would sit there and become more detached. It was lonely at times”.
The hearing aids help hear things again
70-year-old Biff Byford now uses hearing aids.
“Getting the hearing aids is like turning back on the enjoyment button on life. I can hear things that I haven't heard in a long time, like the certain notes of a guitar string, instruments like bass guitars and drums no longer sound flat. Another bonus is my tinnitus has got so much better, it's no way near as invasive as before. The hearing aids have really helped reduce the severity with that,” he said, according to Blabbermouth.
Saxon is an English heavy metal band formed in 1977 in Barnsley.
www.blabbermouth.net and Wikipedia.