Sid Vicious

Sid Vicious was an English musician who rose to fame as the bassist for the punk rock band Sex Pistols. He was known for his rebellious and self-destructive persona, as well as his turbulent relationship with his American girlfriend Nancy Spungen. He remains an icon of the punk subculture and one of the most controversial figures in rock history. Sid Vicious was born Simon John Ritchie on May 10, 1957, in Lewisham, London, England. His mother Anne was a hippie who had joined the British Army and met his father John, a guardsman at Buckingham Palace and a semi-professional trombonist. His parents separated soon after his birth and he moved with his mother to Ibiza, where they lived in poverty. They returned to England in 1965 and Anne married Christopher Beverley, who died six months later of kidney failure. Sid Vicious had a troubled childhood and was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15. He was expelled from several schools and became involved in the punk scene in London. He met John Lydon, who gave him the nickname Sid Vicious after his pet hamster Sid bit him. Lydon also introduced him to John Grey and John Wardle, who became his close friends and fellow squatters. In 1977, Sid Vicious replaced Glen Matlock as the bassist for the Sex Pistols, a band that challenged the social and political norms of the time with their provocative lyrics and antics. Sid Vicious could barely play his instrument and often mimed on stage. He also developed a heroin addiction and a violent temper. He became notorious for his onstage fights with audience members and journalists. That same year, he met Nancy Spungen, a groupie who had followed the New York punk band The Heartbreakers. They fell in love and moved in together, fueling each other's drug habit and codependency. They were often abused by the press and the public, who blamed Spungen for Vicious's downfall. In 1978, the Sex Pistols broke up after a disastrous tour in the US. Sid Vicious embarked on a solo career with the help of his manager Malcolm McLaren. He recorded some cover songs, such as My Way by Frank Sinatra and Something Else by Eddie Cochran. He also performed live shows with various musicians, including The Clash and The New York Dolls. On October 12, 1978, Sid Vicious woke up to find Nancy Spungen dead on the bathroom floor of their room at the Hotel Chelsea in New York City. She had been stabbed in the abdomen with a knife that belonged to Vicious. He was arrested and charged with her murder, but he claimed that he had no memory of what happened. He was released on bail after McLaren paid $50,000. While awaiting trial, Sid Vicious attempted suicide several times and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. He was also attacked by a man named Todd Smith at a nightclub, who accused him of killing Spungen. On February 1, 1979, he was released from a drug detoxification program and attended a party at his new girlfriend Michelle Robson's apartment. The next day, he was found dead of a heroin overdose at age 21. His mother Anne claimed that she had supplied him with the fatal dose as part of a suicide pact they had made. Sid Vicious's death marked the end of an era for punk rock and left behind a legacy of controversy and tragedy. He is buried next to Nancy Spungen in King David Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.