Sex Pistols Frontman John Lydon’s Wife Dead at 80 After Years-Long Battle With Alzheimer’s
Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon’s wife, Nora Forster, has died at 80 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The pair were married for nearly 50 years. The music icon, who took the punk scene by storm in the late 1970s, announced the news on his Twitter page.
John Lydon’s wife has died at 80 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s
The Sex Pistols frontman (a.k.a. Johnny Rotten) announced the death of his wife of nearly 50 years, Nora Forster, on his social media account on April 6.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Nora Forster – John Lydon’s wife of nearly five decades – has passed away,” the tweet read.
Doctors diagnosed Forster with Alzheimer’s disease seven years ago. Around that time, Lydon became her “full-time carer” throughout her battle with the disease. The tweet concluded, “Please respect John’s grief and allow him space.”
Lydon cared for his wife
In 2020, the Sex Pistols and P.I.L. frontman revealed to The Mirror that he was Forster’s full-time caregiver. He said he “won’t let anyone mess up with her head.”
“That person I love is still there every minute of every day and that is my life. It’s unfortunate that she forgets things, well, don’t we all,” Lydon said.
Since Forster’s diagnosis, Lydon has also made it his mission to bring awareness to the disease. Lydon told Rolling Stone (per Page Six) that he knows he’s achieved his goal of raising awareness. He said, “All the things I thought were the ultimate agony seem preposterous now. It’s shaped me into what I am.”
He added, “I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I don’t see how I can live without her. I wouldn’t want to. There’s no point.”
The rock star and Forster married in 1979
Lydon’s wife was a German publishing heiress. In the 1970s, she lived in London as a music promoter, providing financial support to many punks bands, including The Clash, The Slits, and The Sex Pistols.
According to the Independent, she was also employed in the acting, modeling, and music promotion industries. At one time, she worked alongside Jimi Hendrix.
Lydon met her in 1975 at Vivienne Westwood’s famous punk shop, Sex. They married in 1979 and did not have any children. Dany Boyle’s new limited series, Pistol showed Lydon’s time as a Sex Pistol. Lydon hated it and said it was a disgrace.
The punk rocker recently wrote the song “Hawaii” as a “love letter” to Forster. He hoped it would win and become Ireland’s Eurovision 2023 entry. He performed it as part of his band P.I.L. (Public Image Ltd.) but lost to “We Are One” by Wild Youth.
Lydon said he doesn’t regret competing and is glad he got the opportunity to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease again. In recent years, all Lydon has done is show his true devotion to his wife. It’s inspiring, to say the least.
