John Lydon of Public Image Ltd performs live on stage during their This Is Not The Last Tour at Parr Hall. (Andy Von Pip/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
John “Johnny Rotten” Lydon says his former Sex Pistols bandmates didn’t reach out following the death of his wife, Nora Forster, in 2023.
“I expected some kind of connection when Nora died, but nothing,” Lydon tells the U.K.’s The Times.
Lydon has remained estranged from the rest of the Pistols — guitarist Steve Jones, bassist Glen Matlock and drummer Paul Cook — for some time; the band has since reformed with Frank Carter on vocals.
Lydon’s previously criticized the current iteration of the Pistols as “karaoke” and reiterates to The Times he has no interest in being part of the band.
“I still have a very great fondness for the chaps from that period,” Lydon says. “What they evolved — or devolved — into since is another consequence.”
Lydon is currently playing a run of U.K. dates with Public Image Ltd. The Carter-fronted Sex Pistols will launch a European tour in June.
It’s always sad to say goodbye to our favorite musicians when they pass away, and 2025 was certainly a tough year.
The music world lost a true legend on June 11 when Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson died in his sleep at the age of 82. He had been living with dementia at the time and had been placed under a conservatorship in early 2024 following the death of his wife, Melinda Wilson.
The rock world was in shock when news broke that Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22 at the age of 76. His death came barely three weeks after he made his final onstage appearance at the 10-hour all-star Back to the Beginning concert in his hometown of Birmingham, England. He was laid to rest in Birmingham, with fans lining the city’s streets to pay their respects.
Another influential artist we lost in 2025 was Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone, who passed away June 9 at the age of 82. A statement revealed that he died “after a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues.”
And Ace Frehley, guitarist and founding member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band KISS, died on Oct. 16 at the age of 64. His death came just weeks after he canceled the remainder of his 2025 tour due to health issues.
Here are some of the other music figures who died in 2025, in chronological order:
Jan. 21: Garth Hudson, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist who was the last surviving member of The Band, 87.
Jan. 30: British singer Marianne Faithfull, best known for her hit “As Time Goes By” and for her association with The Rolling Stones, 78.
Feb. 28: David Johansen, lead singer and last surviving original member of the New York Dolls, who also found fame in the ’80s and ’90s as the throwback crooner Buster Poindexter, 75.
March 15: Les Binks, drummer for Judas Priest from 1977 to 1979, 73.
March 16: Jesse Colin Young, the voice heard on the Youngbloods‘ iconic hit “Get Together,” 83.
April 6: Clem Burke, drummer and founding member of Blondie, 70.
April 29: Mike Peters, frontman of Welsh rock band The Alarm, 66.
June 23: Mick Ralphs, guitarist and founding member of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company, 81.
July 29: Paul Mario Day, original lead singer for Iron Maiden, 69.
Aug. 4: Terry Reid, the British musician who’s most famously known for turning down offers to front Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, 75.
Aug. 10: Bobby Whitlock, pianist, guitarist and songwriter who formed Derek and the Dominoes with Eric Clapton, 77.
Sept. 5: Mark Volman, founding member of the rock band The Turtles, 78.
Sept. 6: Rick Davies, founding member of Supertramp who wrote and sang lead on their top-40 hit, “Goodbye Stranger,” 81.
Sept. 19: Sonny Curtis, a member of Buddy Holly‘s Crickets, who also wrote The Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song, 88.
Sept. 25: Chris Dreja, a co-founder of the Yardbirds, 78.
Oct. 10: John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of the progressive rock band Moody Blues, 82.
Nov. 2: Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, vocalist for the Grateful Dead from 1971 to 1979, 78.
Nov. 5: Gilson Lavis, former drummer for the band Squeeze, 74.
Nov. 24: Jimmy Cliff, Grammy Award-winning reggae singer and actor, 81.
Dec. 3: Steve Cropper, guitarist for Booker T. and the M.G.’s, 84.
The new movie Song Sung Blue has an unexpected connection to Eddie Vedder.
The film is a biopic about Lightning & Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute duo made up of couple Mike Sardina and Claire Sardina, played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, respectively. In the movie, Lightning & Thunder get their big break when they’re invited to open for Pearl Jam.
“This is true,” Song Sung Blue director Craig Brewer tells Entertainment Weekly. “Eddie Vedder is the MVP of Lightning & Thunder.”
Pearl Jam posted footage from the concert to their Facebook, which was previously used in a 2008 documentary about Lightning & Thunder also called Song Sung Blue.
As Brewer tells it, the doc was almost blocked by Diamond’s publishing company. However, Vedder personally appealed to Diamond, who told his team to stand down upon seeing it.
“Eddie … even to this day, has been such a support in telling the story of Lightning & Thunder, even to the extent of — we wanted to use the song ‘Alive’ off of his first album [Pearl Jam’s Ten],” Brewer says. “They have never licensed that song, ever. It’s always been an automatic no. And he gave it to us.”
Elton John performs at the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, November 8, 2025 (Kevin Kane/Getty Images for RRHOF)
Elton John and Brandi Carlile released their Grammy-nominated joint album, Who Believe In Angels?, in 2025, but 2026 may bring us some Elton John solo music — and maybe even more than expected.
In a holiday video message to members of his Rocket Club fan club, Elton said, “I’ll be going to the studio next April to make a record. But I’ve already made one, which is fantastic. So I’m teasing you with that one.”
It’s not clear which projects Elton is referring to. In November, he told Variety, “I just can’t wait to go into the studio now and write some new songs and go from there.” He also mentioned he had “seven new lyrics” from Bernie Taupin to write music for.
Despite his retirement from touring, Elton revealed in his message that he has continued performing. “I’ve done 11 private shows this year,” he said, adding that he’s in “great voice and I enjoy playing with the band and on my own.” He also made a plug for his headlining appearance at the Rock in Rio festival in September. “Who would’ve thought?” he asked.
Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead performs live on stage during the third day of the Sonisphere Rock Festival at Knebworth House on July 10, 2011 in Stevenage, England. (Jim Dyson/Getty Images)
Motörhead frontman Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister died on Dec. 28, 2015 — 10 years ago Sunday.
Lemmy formed Motörhead in 1975 alongside guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox after playing in the band Hawkwind. Wallis and Fox were then replaced by guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke and drummer Phil“Philthy Animal” Taylor, who, along with Lemmy, made up the classic “Three Amigos” Motörhead lineup.
Early Motörhead albums including 1979’s Overkill and Bomber and 1980’s Ace of Spades, which spawned the iconic title track, helped pave the way for the new wave of British heavy metal movement alongside bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
Lemmy was known for his gravelly voice, muttonchops and prominent moles. His onstage presence contributed to Motörhead’s energetic live shows, which were captured on the celebrated 1981 live album No Sleep ’til Hammersmith.
Following the departures of Clarke and Taylor, Motörhead went through several lineup changes before landing on a trio of Lemmy, guitarist Phil “Wizzö” Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee, which remained in place from 1995. Motörhead continued to put out new albums on a consistent basis, concluding with their 22nd studio effort, 2015’s Bad Magic.
Outside of Motörhead, Lemmy was a cowriter on Ozzy Osbourne‘s 1991 album, No More Tears, including on the songs “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and “Hellraiser.” Motörhead also recorded their own version of “Hellraiser.”
Lemmy, who was known for his hard-partying ways, developed a number of health issues in his later years. On Dec. 26, 2015, two days after his 70th birthday, he was diagnosed with cancer. He died two days later.
Upon Lemmy’s death, Motörhead officially disbanded, though archival recordings continue to be released. Lemmy’s ashes were sent to a number of his close friends, including Metallica‘s James Hetfield.
Steve Harris of Iron Maiden performs at Co-op Live on June 22, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage)
Iron Maiden celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2025, and founding bassist/songwriter Steve Harris reflects on the milestone in a statement to Kerrang!
“It’s pretty incredible when you think about it, but we don’t think about it too much,” Harris says. “The band don’t really say, ‘Wow, this is 50 years!’ It’s brought to us by other people like management or whoever is making a bigger fuss about it. We just do what we do.”
“But it is a long, long time,” Harris continues. “It’s an achievement. We won’t harp on about it ourselves, but we’re aware of that. And long may it continue.”
Maiden has certainly accomplished a lot in the last half-century, though there are still one or two things they’d like to check off their bucket list.
“There are a couple of countries here and there we’d still like to get to,” Harris says. “Like, we were once supposed to play Bangkok, but three weeks before there was a military coup and we had to cancel. Maybe one day we’ll drag the Iron Maiden plane out again to go and do them, because that makes those shows a lot easier!”
As for how many years past 50 Maiden will continue, Harris says, “I’m not thinking about retirement, but we all know that it’s coming at some point when you’ll be forced into it by one thing or another.”
“I still stay fit, playing football and tennis and things, but you never know what’s coming round the corner,” Harris says. “That’s why you’ve got to make the most of this while you can, going out enjoy every gig for the sake of it. I’ve been saying that for the last 10 years, but it’s truer now than ever.”
Maiden will launch a North American tour in August.
Billy Joel’s 2025 didn’t start out so hot. In January, the Piano Man postponed a show in order to have a medical procedure. He did perform two shows in February and continued to announce more concerts for 2025, including co-headlining dates with Sting, Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks. But issues with his health halted his touring plans.
-Joel announced in March he was postponing shows for four months to allow himself time to recover from recent surgery and to undergo physical therapy under the supervision of his doctors.
-Then in May, Joel canceled all scheduled concert dates after revealing he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a disorder in which fluid builds up in the brain. According to a statement, Joel’s brain condition, “exacerbated by recent concert performances,” led to issues with his hearing, vision and balance.
-In an interview on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast in July, Joel gave fans a health update, saying his condition was “not fixed” and “still being worked on,” but assured fans, “I feel fine.”
-And it wasn’t all bad news for Billy in 2025. In May, a new two-part documentary on the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, debuted at the Tribeca Festival.
-The documentary, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, debuted on HBO Max in July to critical acclaim and earned a nomination for best music documentary at the 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
-Joel released a digital 100-track album, also called Billy Joel: And So It Goes, describing it as a “companion” piece to the documentary. It included eight never-before-heard songs. He also launched a yearlong YouTube series, dropping archival performances on the video-sharing platform.
In other Billy Joel news …
-Joel’s signature tune, “Piano Man,” hit 1 billion streams on Spotify. It was his second song to reach such a milestone, following “Uptown Girl.”
-20th Century Cycles, the motorcycle shop Joel opened in 2010 that housed his collection of more than 75 vintage motorcycles, closed. Joel auctioned off the bike collection.
-Joel was announced as the subject of New York City entrepreneur Michael Dorf’s annual Music Of charity concert series, with the tribute set for March 12, 2026, at Carnegie Hall.
Flea at 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Disney/Ser Baffo)
Flea is here to help jazz up your holiday season.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist has shared a trumpet performance of what sounds like the song “Christmas Time Is Here” from the classic A Charlie Brown Christmas special.
“‘Twas the night before…,” the video caption reads. You can watch Flea’s performance now via RHCP’s Facebook.
You’ll be hearing even more of Flea on trumpet on his upcoming solo album, due out in 2026. The first single, “A Plea,” is out now.
The Pearl Jam camp is celebrating their own fuzzy Christmas miracle.
The three kittens that the grunge rockers have been fostering at their Seattle headquarters have now been officially adopted.
As previously reported, the cats were found in the PJHQ parking lot over the summer and dubbed the Purrl Jam Kittens. With help from a local organization called the Alley Cat Project, the kittens were safely rescued and remained at PJHQ until their adoption, which has now happened just in time for the holidays.
“Thanks to Alley Cat Project, these rockstar-personality kittens have found their forever homes for the holidays!” Pearl Jam shares in a Facebook post. “Bugs and Dark Matter, the undeniable duo of the litter, were adopted together. Gremmie, the true embodiment of the song he was named after, found a home with a PJ HQ staff member and is settling in beautifully with the help of his new big sister, Winnie.”
Bugs and Dark Matter are named after the 1994 Vitalogy cut and the title track off Pearl Jam’s 2024 album, respectively. Gremmie is named after the song “Gremmie Out of Control,” which is included on the 2003 Lost Dogs compilation.
‘The Löst Tapes, Vol. 7 (Lemmy’s 50th Birthday, Live in West Hollywood, 1995)’ album artwork. (BMG)
Late Motörhead frontman Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister would’ve turned 80 on Wednesday, and the band is celebrating the occasion with a throwback to another milestone birthday.
The Motörhead YouTube channel has uploaded the band’s full 1995 performance at the famed Whisky A Go Go club in Los Angeles, which celebrated Lemmy’s 50th birthday.
The set included renditions of classics including “Ace of Spades,” “Bomber,” “Iron Fist,” “Stay Clean,” “Metropolis” and “Killed By Death.” Before Motörhead took the stage, Metallica played a surprise opening set billed as The Lemmys.
The Whisky concert is also available as a live album as part of Motörhead’s The Löst Tapes series.
Lemmy died on Dec. 28, 2015, four days after his 70th birthday. The 10th anniversary of his death is Sunday.
