John Lydon has said his former Sex Pistols bandmates did not reach out to him when his wife Nora Forster died.
The punk icon lost his wife of nearly five decades in April 2023 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, and the final two years of her life saw him serve as her full-time carer.
In a new interview with The Times, Lydon – who went by the name Johnny Rotten during his time with the Pistols – claimed that he did not receive any message from either guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock or drummer Paul Cook after Forster’s passing.
“I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing,” he said.
Shortly before she passed away, Lydon spoke emotionally about his devotion to her, explaining that her battle with Alzheimer’s helped “shape him”. “All the things I thought were the ultimate agony seem preposterous now,” he said. “It’s shaped me into what I am. 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.”
Relations between Lydon and his former bandmates have been frosty in recent years, with the singer being openly critical of their decision to take the band back on the road and enlist former Gallows frontman Frank Carter in Lydon’s place.
“It’s almost malicious in its intent,” he told NME last year. “And it’s karaoke – that’s all it will ever be. Bloody hell, The Three Stooges in that band have had how many years to write some new songs? That’s what I’d like to hear.”
In further comments in May, Lydon added: “It’s weird. [It’s] a dumbing down of all the integrity, intensity, genuine honesty and heartfelt emotions I put into that band.”
“Of course, it’s karaoke, but it’s like… Come on, Mr Carter, you’re not Johnny Rotten, I am. Right? Stop it,” he added, before going on to name the one thing about the new frontman that got his seal of approval: “I actually think he took it on in the right spirit.”
The Pistols and Carter played a series of shows at London’s Bush Hall last year, and they have since gone on to play tours around the UK and beyond.
In October, Matlock also suggested that they “have ideas” for making new music with Carter. “Everyone has ideas, but we’re very busy at the moment and haven’t had a chance to really work things out,” he said.
NME also asked Jones about the possibility earlier this year. “I think if you do anything new and you’re playing it live, that’s when people go and get a drink,” he said. “When was the last time you heard a good Rolling Stones song?”
“I think you really have a window when you’re young, where you’re really creative and you’re on the ball. When you’re older, I think it runs out. I could be wrong!”
As for Lydon’s post-Pistols band Public Image Ltd., they are currently playing an extension of their ‘This Is Not The Last Tour’ in the UK. See all the dates here and find any remaining tickets here.