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'Remember me': Sex Pistols' John Lydon reveals how wife's illness inspired Eurovision song 'Hawaii'

John Lydon, 66, said that 'Hawaii' is about his love for his 80-year-old wife, Nora, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease four years ago
PUBLISHED JAN 15, 2023
John Lydon is a full-time carer for 80-year-old wife Nora Forster, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s more than four years ago (Noam Galai/Getty Images)
John Lydon is a full-time carer for 80-year-old wife Nora Forster, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s more than four years ago (Noam Galai/Getty Images)

VENICE, CALIFORNIA: Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon found it difficult to control his tears when he disclosed that his song for Ireland's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest is dedicated to his wife Nora Forster, 80. The history of Eurovision is filled with oddball artists, from silver sci-fi-suited singers to heavy metal bands wearing monster masks.

The 66-year-old Irish-British punk rocker, better known by his stage name Johnny Rotten, will compete for a position in the 2023 Eurovision competition along with his band Public Image Ltd. Lydon has an emotional connection to his song of choice, 'Hawaii', as he revealed while looking back at the love he has shared with his wife of more than 40 years in an interview about the potential opportunity to play the song later this year. 

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Lydon discussed how emotionally charged his entry for the Eurovision Song Contest was for him. Struggling to hold back tears, he told The Sun that the song, which contains the chorus "remember me, I remember you," is about his love for his wife, Nora, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease four years ago. "We spent a magnificent holiday in Hawaii after a tour once and it was just the greatest week of our lives. Now her memories are fading, I wanted to bring something like that back to her. I get broke up even thinking about it."

John Lydon and his wife arrive to the screening of 'There Will Always Be An England' at the Screen on The Green cinema on July 1, 2008 in London, England.
John Lydon and his wife Nora in London, England, 2008 (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Lydon will once again be joined by bandmates Lu Edmonds, Scott Firth and Bruce Smith for the contest. He claimed that he did not even know that 'Hawaii' had been selected as Ireland's entry for this year's competition.



 

Lydon gained notoriety with the band The Sex Pistols in the 1970s, which included bassist Glen Matlock, drummer Paul Cook, and guitarist Steve Jones. Matlock was then replaced and Sid Vicious took his place in 1977. Lydon served as the band's lead vocalist from 1975 to 1978. Later, he fronted the group for a number of revivals in the 1990s and 2000s.



 

The Eurovision song contest is set to be held in February 2023. The rival tunes will compete on 'The Late Late Show' on public broadcaster RTE on February 3. Lydon has been practicing while hoovering since he is so anxious to win over the judges. However, the singer still worries about ruining this "honor" and crying on stage despite being a full-time caregiver for Nora. 'Hawaii' is a sincere and upbeat song that tackles a topic that isn't typically covered during the Eurovision contest.

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