John Lydon, the Sex Pistols' fiery frontman once known as Johnny Rotten, wants The Rolling Stones to call it a day. The punk legend, 69, didn't mince words on "Good Morning Britain" earlier this week, urging the iconic band to retire. "By all means, The Rolling Stones should retire," Lydon declared with a grin. Then, he cheekily added, "I've offended music lovers."
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Lydon separates himself from the Stones -- Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, both 81, and Ronnie Wood, 77. "I'm not short of a song idea or two," he boasted, hinting at his creative edge. Meanwhile, he retracted his own retirement claim from a prior TV appearance. "That's dementia for you," Lydon quipped. "If I retired, that's not me. I'm not that kind of person."
The Stones, however, show no signs of slowing down. In 2023, they dropped Hackney Diamonds, their first new album since 2005. It was their first release since drummer Charlie Watts' death in 2021. Next, they launched the Hackney Diamonds Tour in April 2024, rocking two sold-out shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. In February 2025, the album snagged a Grammy for Best Rock Album, the band's fourth win since forming in 1962.
Jagger, unfazed by retirement talk, told Rolling Stone in 2015, "I'm not thinking about retirement. I'm planning the next set of tours." Clearly, the "Start Me Up" crew still has gas in the tank.
Lydon's Personal Journey
While Lydon throws shade, he's been navigating personal challenges. He spent recent years caring for his wife, Nora Forster, who died in 2023 at 80 after an Alzheimer's diagnosis. "Nora had been living with Alzheimer's for several years," read a 2023 X post. "John had become her full-time carer." Lydon, married to Forster since 1979, shared in a 2020 Mirror interview, "The real person is still there. That person I love is there every day."
Despite his caregiving, Lydon's punk spirit burns bright. He's ready to keep creating, while the Stones keep rocking. For now, Jagger and company seem set to roll on, ignoring Lydon's call to ride into the sunset.
