John Lydon's Socials Announce the passing of his wife Nora Forster
At the age of 80, Nora Forster, the wife of John Lydon, the frontman of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd., and the mother of the late Slits singer Ari Up, passed away after a prolonged and public struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Nora had been struggling with Alzheimer’s for some time, and John had been her devoted full-time carer. the IG account of Lydon asked people to respect John’s sorrow and provide him some space.
Forster, who was born in Germany and was the heiress of a publishing dynasty, was a big supporter of the punk movement in the U.K. and motivated her daughter, Ariane Forster (later known as Ari Up), to pursue music at a young age. Up eventually created the innovative punk group the Slits, and within twelve months of their forming they were performing with the Clash. Tragically, Up passed away in 2010, aged 48, after battling breast cancer; Forster and Lydon then took on the responsibility of being guardians of Up’s three children.
In 1979, four years after their initial meeting at Vivienne Westwood’s renowned punk store Sex, Lydon and Forster tied the knot. They have been inseparable since.
In 2018, Forster was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, leading Lydon to become her full-time caretaker even when he was touring with PiL. When the band was a surprise contender to represent Ireland in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, Lydon spoke about his wife’s Alzheimer’s and the group performed ‘Hawaii,’ a song he wrote for her.
At the time Lydon said, “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most. It’s also a message of hope that ultimately, love conquers all.”
Despite his hopes of representing Ireland in the competition being dashed, Lydon commented on how tough it was to leave his home in Southern California and how he still managed to accomplish his objective of raising awareness for Alzheimer’s.
In February, Lydon remarked that what he once believed to be the worst of pains now appears insignificant. He believes his situation has shaped him into the person he is now and that he will never be able to recover fully. Lydon also expressed that he couldn’t imagine living without his wife and that there was no point in doing so.
He has asked people to respect his sorrow and give him some space.
Follow PiL on Their Socials
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Live Review: Yur Mum / Spleen, London Hope & Anchor, 6th Dec 2024
Songs like ‘What’s Behind The Sun’ and ‘Affected Kid’ are proof that Spleen are already masters of the quiet-loud dynamic that was (yes!) grunge’s hallmark
EP review: No Real Hero – ‘H’
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, ‘H’ is No Real Hero’s first release of new material since 2018. The band originally emerged in 2012 as a hard
Live review: Vive Le X-Mess 2024, London Water Rats, 4th Dec
Ah, the Vive Le Rock magazine X-Mess gig – it’s becoming a great tradition indeed. The Water Rats gets increasingly packed and sweaty tonight, and
Live review: Chubby And The Gang, London Hackney Moth Club, 3rd Dec 2024
Chubby and the Gang’s Charles ‘Chubby’ Manning Walker is – by his own admission – not a man of words. It matters little, because this
Album review: Hung Like Hanratty release ‘Welcome to the Future’
From Sutton in Ashfield, UK, Hung Like Hanratty are one of the most well-known, hilarious, fun punk bands around! They have played hundreds of gigs
Live review: Grade 2 / Pickled Dick / Everyone Lies at the Boileroom, Guildford 2/12/24
Marvellous Punk music made Monday night a fun night – Grade 2’s end-of-year tour is a must-see! First support are Southampton’s excellent SkatePunk band Everyone
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
