Rick Astley has opened up about his struggles with hearing loss and recorded a new version of Never Gonna Give You Up to raise awareness of the condition.
The pop superstar – who returned to the upper echelons of the UK charts earlier this month with his ninth LP, ‘Are We There Yet?’ – has partnered up with Specsavers to highlight the impact of hearing loss and the importance of getting tested and treated.
In a video released on his social media channels, the singer discussed losing his hearing and his decision to re-record his chart-topping hit with new lyrics for the cause.
“There are certain things I just can’t hear anymore,” he revealed, explaining how mishearing words was one of the first symptoms. “So, we’ve had a bit of fun with my lyrics just to raise awareness of it.”
Instead of ‘Never gonna give you up’ he sings ‘Then I’m gonna give you up’, replacing ‘Never gonna run around and desert you’ with ‘Then I’m gonna run around with dessert spoons’.
In a statement on the Specsavers website, Astley revealed he now uses hearing aids and shared: “It’s probably a result of playing the drums as a kid and working in the music industry, so [Specsavers has] given me my first hearing aids.
“It’s important to remember that everyone’s hearing is different. Some people lose high notes, others lose low frequency sounds,” he continued. “I’d encourage anyone to get their hearing tested if they notice any changes, so they don’t lose the sounds or music they love.”
