Eric Clapton is suffering from deafness and struggling to strum the guitar.
The 72-year-old guitar legend is set to perform a special concert at London’s Hyde Park on July 8 for the British Summer Time festival, and has revealed he’s anxious about being able to play the instrument and sing "proficiently" due to the ailments he has including tinnitus, a ringing coming from inside the ear.
In an interview with Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday (09.01.18), he shared: "I am still going to work. I am going to do a show at Hyde Park in July.
"The only thing I am concerned with now is I am going deaf, I’ve got tinnitus, my hands just about work.
"I mean, I am hoping people will come along and see me, me more than I am a curiosity.
"I know that is part of it, because it’s amazing to myself that I am still here."
The former Cream star was speaking in promotion of his new film, ‘Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars’, which hits cinemas on Friday (12.01.18), and said it’s hard to watch the movie in full because it looks back at some tough times he’s experienced.
He admitted: "It’s difficult to sit through because it goes on so long about the difficult part of my life.
"I think it’s important for people to see that there is a happy ending, it’s like a redemption concept.
"If you are going to go and see it, be prepared for a heavy ride."
The ‘Layla’ hitmaker revealed last year that he’s been in pain after damaging his nervous system, which is why he’s finding it hard to perform, however, he’s "come to terms with it".
He said at the time: "I’ve had quite a lot of pain over the last year. It started with lower back pain, and turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy.
"[It’s] hard work to play the guitar and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve."
Clapton, who spent most of the 60s and 70s under the influence of alcohol and drugs until his sobriety in 1987, had said that he would limit the number of concerts he does to avoid "embarrassing himself".
He said: "What I’ll allow myself to do, within reason, is carry on recording in the studio.
"I don’t want to go off the boil to the point where I’m embarrassing myself."
Eric Clapton is going deaf
