John Lydon urges The Rolling Stones to retire
Former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon has explained why he’ll never retire, but also said he believes The Rolling Stones should call time on their career.
During a new interview on Good Morning Britain, host Ed Balls reflected on Lydon’s last appearance on the programme when the former Sex Pistols singer shared that he may never return to the stage and the loss of his wife, Nora Foster, following a battle with dementia in 2023. Lydon laughed off the talk of retirement by joking, “That’s dementia for you, I forgot that bit.”
Lydon was then asked about losing not only his wife but also his manager and best friend, John Rambo Stevens, within eight months of each other. He replied: “I’d known him since I was 11, so these were close bonds that we had with each other, and I miss them both very dearly.”
However, Lydon is adamant that he’ll continue with his craft for as long as he can, adding, “As I indicated before, if I just sat back and retired, that’s not me. I’m not that kind of person. By all means, The Rolling Stones should retire, I’m not short of a song idea or two, so there’s a difference.”
Lydon pulled a comical face before saying, “I’ve offended music lovers.” Host Susanna Reid then said to Public Image Limited, “I’m not sure you worry about causing offence.” This led to Lydon sneaking another dig at The Rolling Stones, jokingly adding, “Certainly not. I mean, comparing music lovers with The Rolling Stones is absurd.”
The Rolling Stones aren’t the only band that has faced the wrath of the punk icon in recent times, with the new incarnation of the Sex Pistols, fronted by Frank Carter, also finding themselves on the receiving end.
Last month, Lydon told the PA: “They’ve killed the content, or done their best to, and turned the whole thing into a rubbish, childishness, and that’s unacceptable.”
The former Sex Pistols singer added of the band’s legacy: “Sorry, I’m not going to give a helping hand to this any longer, as far as I am concerned, I am the Pistols, and they’re not.”
While Lydon has no interest in returning to the Sex Pistols, Public Image Limited are set to begin a lengthy tour of the UK and Europe on May 22nd in Bristol, which will continue until September.
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