CNN —
Former Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, better known to many as Johnny Rotten, is set to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
The punk legend will appear with his current band Public Image Ltd (PiL) alongside five other potential contestants in a special edition Eurovision selection of Irish TV show The Late Late Show on February 3.
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ will broadcast the show, with national and international juries and a public vote deciding the winner.
Lydon, who was born in London to Irish parents, formed PiL after the Sex Pistols split in January 1978. The band have earned four UK Top 20 singles and four UK Top 20 albums.
To make it to Liverpool, England, for the 67th edition of the annual Eurovision competition in May, the group said they will be performing “the most personal piece of songwriting” Lydon has ever shared.
The song “Hawaii,” released Monday, is a “love letter” to Lydon’s wife, Nora, who has had Alzheimer’s for nearly five decades, the band said in a statement.
“It’s dedicated to everyone who’s going through tough times on life’s journey, with the person they care about most,” Lydon said in the publication. “It’s also a message of hope that love will eventually conquer all.”
Irish actor Rory Cowan, best known for his role as Rory Brown on Irish TV sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys, continued to write Twitter: “I really hope PIL wins the National and #Eurovision. The song is good enough anyway, but it’s going to create so much awareness for #Alzheimers.”