Former Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten could represent Ireland at Eurovision 2023 after he announced that he would be throwing his hat into the ring to represent the Emerald Isle.
The news that Johnny Rotten could potentially represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision will probably surprise many.
The former Sex Pistols frontman and his band Public Image Ltd have entered their song ‘Hawaii’ in their bid to represent Ireland at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.
Johnny Rotten – famous for being a frontman for the iconic Sex Pistols
Johnny Rotten, whose real name is John Lydon, is famous for being a punk icon as he was the frontman for the legendary Sex Pistols band.
He is seen by many as being one of the leading figureheads of the punk movement, and the Sex Pistols themselves have been hailed as being one of the most influential acts in the history of popular music.
While Lydon himself is London-born, his parents hailed from Ireland, and he recently revealed that he has an Irish passport.
In May 2022, ahead of a Public Image Ltd gig in Belfast, Lydon told the Irish News that he had gotten his Irish passport, but clarified, “It’s not for romantic reasons, because I was fed up being anally examined at Heathrow – I’d had quite enough of that”.
This is not the first time Lydon attempted to represent Ireland at the Eurovision; in 2018, he made it to the final ten contestants with his song ‘Pleased to Meet You’. However, he lost out to Ryan O’Shaughnessy.
Ireland’s record at the Eurovision – most successful country in Eurovision history
Ireland has a history to be proud of when it comes to competing at the Eurovision, as they currently hold the record for being the most successful country in Eurovision history with seven wins, including three consecutive wins.
Ireland has also experienced four second-place finishes and one third-place finish too. The Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool in the UK on Saturday, 13 May, as last year’s winners Ukraine are still enduring an ongoing conflict with Russia.
The competition to decide who will represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision will take place on RTÉ’s The Late Late Show on 3 February.
Hawaii – a love letter to his wife
Released recently, the song ‘Hawaii’ is a “love letter” to Lydon’s wife of nearly fifty years, Nora, who is living with Alzheimer’s, the band revealed in a statement.
“It is dedicated to everyone going through tough times on the journey of life with the person they care for the most,” Lydon said in the release. “It’s also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all”.
The band described the song as “a pensive, personal yet universal love song that will resonate with many” and said the song is about one of Lydon’s happiest moments when he spent time in Hawaii with his wife.
