06 April 2023 , 15:52
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John Lydon's wife Nora Forster has died aged 80 after a battle with Alzheimer's.
The musician, also known as Johnny Rotten, 67, had been Nora's full time carer.
John's official Twitter page announced the news this afternoon, writing: "Rest in Peace Nora Forster. It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Nora Forster - John Lydon's wife of nearly 5 decades - has passed away.
"Nora had been living with Alzheimer’s for several years. In which time John had become her full time carer."
"Please respect John's grief and allow him space. Rest in Peace Nora. Heart felt condolences to John from Rambo and all at PiL Official."
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John and Nora were married for nearly 50 years (Redferns)The page also shared a sweet picture of the Sex Pistols star and Nora, their arms around each other.
In January, John spoke about caring for his wife, as he dedicated his entry to represent Ireland at Eurovision, to her.
Touching on his previously unheard song titled Hawaii, he told Good Morning Britain: “This is the beginning of a new journey. Oddly enough, as bad as Alzheimer's is, there are great moments of tenderness between us.
John and Nora backstage at the 2011 NME Awards (Getty Images)
The couple in 1989“I try to capture that in the song. It’s not all waiting for the Grim Reaper. I can see the personality in her eyes that lets me know.
“Her communication skills are letting her down. I’m just blessed that I can be there and catch on to that and pass something useful on to other people.”
He added: “I care now for all of its victims. Particularly spouses that have to endure this. What you’ve got to do is fight.”
In the song, John reflects on their years together, and in particular, one of their happiest moments in Hawaii.
John (centre) is known for his work with the Sex Pistols (Getty Images)Ed Ball, who touched on his own mother’s battle with dementia, praised the track, prompting Johnny to well up.
He replied: “Brought a bit of a tear to my eye. This is my significant other, my partner, so I find it even less care out there available for our situation.
“That’s why I developed myself into a 24/7 kind of person to deal with it. You live for the moment and you can’t make any plans at all for that moment, but you’ve got to be there.”
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John spoke about caring for his wife, who he affectionately called Babbie, in his book I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right.
John, pictured with Nora in 2017, was devoted to his wifeHe tells how he was determined to look after her himself and not put her into specialist care.
He says: “We’re not dealing with the walking dead. It’s a matter of memory fusing in and out.
“I had those issues when I was younger, coming out of meningitis. So I’m absolutely in the right place for it. It makes us love one another even more, no question.
Born into a wealthy German newspaper family, Nora was working as a music promoter in London when she met John, and they married in 1979.
She had a daughter Ari, who she took with her to Sex Pistols shows and Ari later formed punk band The Slits.
However she died in 2010 from breast cancer, aged just 48.