Former Sex Pistols lead singer John Lydon (formally known as Johnny Rotten) said The Rolling Stones “should retire,” since the band seems “short” on song ideas. Lydon, 69, made the comments during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, where he took back his own 2023 retirement announcement. “As I indicated before, if I just sat back and retired, that’s not me. I’m not that kind of person,” he said. Upon being reminded that he previously said he’d never tour again, Lydon said, “That’s dementia for you, I forgot that bit.” Though he’s not retiring himself, he thinks the Stones should, he explained. “By all means, The Rolling Stones should retire,” he said. “I’m not short of a song idea or two, so there’s a difference.” Lydon then joked that he’d “offended music lovers,” with his comment. Stones lead singer Mick Jagger, 81, previously said in 2015 he’d never considered retiring. The band completed a North America tour last year after releasing its 2023 album. Lydon, on the other hand, considered never touring again after he lost his longtime friend and manager John “Rambo” Stevens, followed by the death of his wife Nora Lydon in 2023 to Alzheimer’s disease. Lydon had been her full-time caretaker until her death.
