Sid Vicious

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Sid Vicious, born Simon John Ritchie, was an English musician, best known as the second bass player of the punk band the Sex Pistols. He was born in London in 1957, grew up in Tunbridge Wells and later in Hackney. On a photography course he met John Lydon, the future Johnny Rotten. Lydon gave him the nickname Sid Vicious after Ritchie was bitten by Lydon's hamster Sid, named after Syd Barrett. He hung around Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's fashion shop Sex and so came into the circle around the Sex Pistols.

Music and breakthrough

In 1976 he belonged to the circle of musicians around Siouxsie and the Banshees, for whom he drummed once, and to the Flowers of Romance, who never performed or recorded. In February 1977 he replaced Glen Matlock in the Sex Pistols, at McLaren's initiative. He could barely play. On the debut album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, the guitarist Steve Jones played virtually all the bass. That album was released in 1977 and went straight to number 1 in the United Kingdom. It is often called the most influential punk album. Vicious became the face of the nihilistic side of punk and became addicted to heroin.

Influence

In 1977 he met Nancy Spungen. She died in New York in 1978, after which he was charged. He himself died in 1979, aged 21, of an overdose. After his death Sid Sings was released, featuring among other things his vocals on Born to Lose, recorded at a Christmas concert for the children of firefighters in 1977. He remained an icon of punk culture.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1979Sid Sings