John Lydon discusses supporting his wife through Alzheimer’s
When the Sex Pistols burst onto the scene, John Lydon was seen as the most scathing punk in the rock music business. As time passes by, though, some punks tend to mellow out. And while Lydon may have been nasty in his heyday, he’s become much more vulnerable when talking about his wife’s health complications.
As Nora Lydon battles with Alzheimer’s disease, Lydon has mentioned doing everything he can to keep her in the best health. When submitting a song for the Eurovision song contest with PiL, Lydon mentioned the song ‘Hawaii’ as being a love letter to his wife. He said: “It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life, with the person they care for the most”.
The hardship that Nora Lydon has gone through has also helped John put his old ways in perspective, as he explained: “All the things I thought were the ultimate agony seem preposterous now. 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”.
Lydon was even ready to sacrifice his craft for his beloved. Although PiL were set to record a new album, Lydon put the entire project on hold to care for his wife. “We were in a recording studio in the middle of the country with nothing but sheep about and her mind just freaked out,” he said. “All my attention was on that, and the bits of songs we did put together were rubbish-y and confused”.
Though the chances of any new music are still up in the air, Lydon says that he wouldn’t change a thing when it comes to his wife’s health. When asked about his choice to put music on the shelf, Lydon talked about the blessing that comes with supporting his wife: “no joy comes without pain and, boy, do I know that now. You make your commitment to a person and nothing changes,” he said. “These are the cards life dealt, and my mum and dad were right: never show self-pity. Ever”.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.