Sex Pistols icon John Lydon wept on stage on Thursday as he spoke about his beloved wife Nora Forster’s final moments.
The punk rocker, 68, famously known as Johnny Rotten, lost Nora at the age of 80 after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
He has since been candid about his battle with grief and the star opened up about his late wife during his 45-date UK speaking tour called I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right.
According to The Mirror, John recalled the night she died by saying: ‘She started a death rattle, like the breathing. It is very, very strange and uncomfortable to be around. I knew then that it was finally coming.
‘She held my hand and said ‘Johnny’. And then in a heartbeat, the ambulance arrived, in minutes.
Sex Pistols icon John Lydon wept on stage on Thursday as he spoke about his beloved wife Nora Forster’s final moments (pictured 2023)
The punk rocker, 68, famously known as Johnny Rotten, lost Nora at the age of 80 after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease (pictured 2011)
‘They kept trying to revive her. Her heart would come back for a little bit and then stop again. And then the most painful question was, ‘Shall we stop now and let her rest in peace?’ I was like, ‘No f***ing way’.
‘If I ever had to go through this all over again, I’d still say the same. You have to fight for life ’til the very last breath, it is worth it. The agony, whatever, take it all.
‘Don’t give up on yourself or anybody else. I love my Nora.’
John met Nora at Vivienne Westwood’s famous King’s Road clothes shop Sex, in 1975.
The pair then got married in 1979 and John became her full-time carer after she was diagnosed in 2021.
John also showed fans a picture of her urn with flowers by the side of his bed during another event at the Theatre Royal in Brighton.
He said: ‘Forgive me, the flowers are plastic. There is a reason why real flowers rot and that is the saddest vibe in the world. Plastic flowers go on forever.
‘She loved colours but she’s going to have to wait for my ashes to join her.’
He has since been candid about his battle with grief and the star opened up about his late wife during his 45-date UK speaking tour called I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right (pictured 2017)
According to The Mirror, John recalled the night she died by saying: ‘She started a death rattle, like the breathing. It is very, very strange and uncomfortable to be around. I knew then that it was finally coming
John also revealed that he has been drinking more since Nora passed.
He said: ‘I might as well be [a woman] after all the brandy and whiskey I drank last year. I have actually got t*ts. My breasts are overflowing’
The star also touched on his impoverished upbringing in Holloway, North London, and growing up with little opportunity.
He added: ‘When I was born, the doctor did not like me. He grabbed my ankles and held me like a turkey. I was nine pounds and some awkward ounces.’
It comes after last month John shed light on the loneliness he felt since his beloved wife Nora passed away last year.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) which impact memory, thinking and behaviour.
There are many types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of different types of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. This is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 per cent of those diagnosed.
In the US, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million Alzheimer’s sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia.
Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
Currently there is no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted, the more effective treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society
In a new interview with The Sunday Times Home, the star spoke about life in their LA home since her passing.
John tragically confessed he ‘bounces about in the day’ but when evening falls he no longer cooks as ‘it seems pointless and selfish’, while also confessing that he tries to ‘drown himself in alcohol‘ to little avail.
He said: ‘At night it’s terrifically lonely. All the memories keep flooding back and they won’t leave you. Your body becomes immobile but your brain doesn’t switch off.’
It comes after he tragically announced last year that Nora had passed away – and has since been open and honest about his battles with grief.
In September last year, Johnny confessed it was ‘almost a relief’ when she passed away and was free from her battle. Speaking on GMB, he was asked how the months after her death had been. He responded: ‘It has been tough but we endure…
‘She died laughing up to the last day. She found it very difficult breathing but she died happy and she knew I loved her and that’s all that matters.’
John continued: ‘It was almost a relief [when she died] as she was put out of her misery, for five solid years, but I loved every minute of it.
He added: ‘She held my hand and said ‘Johnny’. And then in a heartbeat, the ambulance arrived, in minutes.’
‘I didn’t mind the wheelchairs or the nappies. I just got attached to her in a whole new way and I learnt so many new things about her.
‘Just sharing comedy and humuor with her was amazing because that would give her memory of what was going on. She was a very independent and strong woman.’
John explained he had to learn to be patient with Nora, as it was crucial while looking after someone with Dementia.
He added: ‘The first year she was ill, it was a learning curve, then you get used to it and after that, you learn to relax a little bit with it. There is no point in arguing, don’t ask questions and let them enjoy what they enjoy.
It comes after last month John shed light on the loneliness he felt since his beloved wife Nora passed away last year (pictured 2023)
‘She didn’t like to be patronised, it would drive her insane with fury. Don’t baby them [people with Dementia], and don’t ask too many questions.’
John again spoke about how he turned to food and alcohol shortly after Nora had died. He continued: ‘All it did was make me put on weight. I never got drunk and I thought, “This is stupid”, so I stopped.
‘But, the trouble is it’s not just the brandy, it’s the instant microwave meals that go with it and you just wreck yourself and the only way I know how to get fit is it to get back on stage.’
In 1975 when Nora met John, the pair were at first warned off each other by friends, however, John said they had an immediate and explosive connection – one which would last a lifetime.
