Sex Pistols icon John Lydon cried on stage on Thursday as he spoke about the final moments of his beloved wife Nora Forster.
The punk rocker, 68, 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 MirrorJohn recalled the night he died saying: ‘He started making a rattle, like breathing. It’s very, very strange and uncomfortable to be around. Then I knew it would finally come.
‘She took my hand and said ‘Johnny.’ And then, in the blink of an eye, the ambulance arrived, within minutes.
Sex Pistols icon John Lydon cried on stage on Thursday as he spoke about the final moments of his beloved wife Nora Forster (pictured in 2023).
The punk rocker, 68, known as Johnny Rotten, lost Nora at the age of 80 after a two-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease (pictured in 2011).
“They kept trying to revive her. Her heart would return for a moment and then she would stop again. And then her most painful question was: ‘Should we stop now and let her rest in peace?’ I was like, ‘No way.’
“If I ever had to go through this again, I would say the same thing. You have to fight for life until your last breath, it’s worth it. The agony, whatever it is, take it all.
‘Don’t give up on yourself or others. I love my Nora.’
John met Nora at Vivienne Westwood’s famous Sex clothing store on the King’s Road in 1975.
The couple then married in 1979 and John became her full-time caregiver after she was diagnosed in 2021.
John also showed his fans a photo of his flower urn next to his bed during another event at the Theater Royal in Brighton.
He said: ‘Excuse me, the flowers are plastic. There’s a reason real flowers rot and that’s the saddest vibe ever. Plastic flowers last forever.
“She loved the colors, but she’ll 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 in 2017).
According to The Mirror, John recalled the night he died saying: ‘He started making a rattle, like breathing. It’s very, very strange and uncomfortable to be around. Then I knew it would finally come
John also revealed that he has been drinking more since Nora passed away.
He said: “It could also be [a woman] after all the brandy and whiskey I drank last year. In fact, I have boobs. My breasts are overflowing
The star also spoke of her impoverished upbringing in Holloway, north London, and how she grew up with few opportunities.
He added: ‘When I was born, the doctor didn’t like me. He grabbed my ankles and hugged me like a turkey. He weighed an uncomfortable nine pounds and a few ounces.
It comes after John last month shed light on the loneliness he has felt since his beloved wife Nora passed away last year.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA?
Dementia is a general term used to describe a variety of neurological disorders.
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is a general term used to describe a variety of progressive neurological disorders (those affecting the brain) that affect memory, thinking and behavior.
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 way.
Dementia is a global concern, but is seen more frequently in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live to a very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are currently more than 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. This number is expected to increase to 1.6 million by 2040.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting between 50 and 75 percent of those diagnosed.
In the United States, there are an estimated 5.5 million Alzheimer’s patients. A similar percentage increase is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, their risk of developing dementia also increases.
Diagnosis rates are improving, but it is believed that many people with dementia are still undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
There is currently no cure for dementia.
But new medications can slow its progression and the earlier it is detected, the more effective the treatments can be.
Source: Alzheimer’s Society
In a new interview with The Sunday Times HomeThe star opened up about life at her Los Angeles home since her passing.
John tragically confessed that he “bounces around during the day”, but when night falls he no longer cooks because “it seems useless and selfish”, while also confessing that he tries to “drown himself in alcohol” without success.
He said: ‘At night it is terribly lonely. All the memories keep coming back and they won’t leave you. Your body stays still but your brain doesn’t turn 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 that it was “almost a relief” when he passed away and was freed from his battle. Speaking on GMB, she was asked what the months after his death had been like. He replied: ‘It has been hard but we endured…
‘He died laughing until the last day. She had a hard time breathing but she died happy and she knew that I loved her and that’s the only thing that matters.’
John continued: “It was almost a relief [when she died] while she was out of her misery, for five whole years, but I loved every minute of it.
He added: “She took my hand and said ‘Johnny’. And then, in the blink of an eye, the ambulance arrived, within minutes.
‘I didn’t care about wheelchairs or diapers. I grew fond of her in a whole new way and learned a lot of new things about her.
‘Just sharing comedy and humor with her was incredible because it would give her memories of what she was going through. She was a very independent and strong woman.’
John explained that he had to learn to be patient with Nora, as it was crucial while caring for someone with dementia.
She added: “The first year she was sick, it was a learning curve, then you get used to it and then you learn to relax a little bit.” There is no point in arguing, don’t ask questions and let them enjoy what they enjoy.
It comes after John last month shed light on the loneliness he has felt since his beloved wife Nora passed away last year (pictured in 2023).
She didn’t like being treated with condescension, because it would drive her crazy with fury. Don’t spoil them [people with Dementia]And don’t ask too many questions.
John spoke again about how he turned to food and alcohol shortly after Nora’s death. He continued: ‘All he did was make me gain weight. I’ve never gotten drunk and thought, “This is stupid,” so I stopped.
“But the problem is that it’s not just the brandy, it’s the instant microwave meals that go with it and you just get destroyed and the only way I know to get fit is to get back on stage.”
In 1975, when Nora met John, friends initially warned each other off, however, John said they had an immediate and explosive connection, one that would last a lifetime.