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• • • • Sid Vicious (born John Simon Ritchie, 10 May 1957 – 2 February 1979) was an English and vocalist, most famous as a member of the influential punk rock band the. Vicious joined the Sex Pistols in early 1977 to replace, who had fallen out of favour with the rest of the group. Due to, Vicious was hospitalised with hepatitis during the recording of the band's only studio album. Accordingly, his bass is only partially featured on one song from the album. Vicious would later appear as a lead vocalist, performing three cover songs, on the soundtrack to, a largely fictionalised documentary about the Sex Pistols, produced by the group's former manager and directed. During the Sex Pistols' brief, chaotic ascendancy, Vicious met eventual girlfriend and manager, and the pair entered a destructive codependent relationship based on drug use.

This culminated in Spungen's death from an apparent stab wound while staying in 's with Vicious. Under suspicion of having committed Spungen's murder, Vicious was released on bail; he was later arrested again for assaulting Todd Smith, brother of, at a nightclub, and underwent drug rehabilitation on.

In celebration of Vicious's release from prison, his mother hosted a party for him at his girlfriend's residence in, which was attended notably by the bassist. Vicious's friend Peter Kodick assisted him in procuring, and he died in his sleep after overdosing on it. Less than four weeks after Vicious's death, the of was released. On 15 December 1979, a compilation of live material recorded during his brief solo career was packaged and released as. Later portrayed Vicious in a 1986 biopic entitled. Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Early life [ ] Vicious was born John Simon Ritchie on 10 May 1957 in, to John and Anne Ritchie. Groove Collective We People Rarely Success. His mother dropped out of school early due to a lack of academic success and went on to join the, where she met her husband-to-be, Ritchie's father, a guardsman at and a semi-professional trombone player on the London Jazz scene.

Shortly after Ritchie's birth, he and his mother moved to, where they expected to be joined by his father who, it was planned, would support them financially in the meantime. However, after the first few cheques failed to arrive, Anne realised he would not be coming. Anne later married Christopher Beverley in 1965, before setting up a family home back in Kent. Ritchie took his stepfather's surname and was known as John Beverley. Christopher Beverley died six months later from cancer, and by 1968 Ritchie and his mother were living in a rented flat in, where he attended Sandown Court School. In 1971 the pair moved to in east London. He also spent some time living in,.

Ritchie first met in 1973, when they were both students. Lydon describes Ritchie at this time as a fan and a 'clothes hound'. By 17, Ritchie was hanging around London. One favourite spot was and 's then-little-known clothing store,. There he met American expatriate before she formed the. Though at least five years older, she tried (but failed) to convince Ritchie to join her in a so she could get a.

John Lydon nicknamed Ritchie 'Sid Vicious' after Lydon's pet hamster Sid (which was named after ), who had bitten Ritchie, eliciting Ritchie's response: 'Sid is really vicious!' The animal was described by Lydon as 'the softest, furriest, weediest thing on earth.' At the time, Ritchie was with Lydon, John Joseph Wardle (), and John Grey, and the four were familiarly known as 'the Four Johns'. [ ] According to Lydon, he and Vicious would often busk for money, with Vicious playing the. They would play covers, and people gave them money to stop. Once a man gave them 'three bob' (three shillings, i.e., 15p in decimal currency) and they all danced. Yet the darker side of Vicious' personality emerged when he assaulted journalist with a motorbike chain, with help from Jah Wobble.

On another occasion, at (a London nightclub popular with rock stars of the day) he threatened BBC DJ and presenter. Music career [ ] The Flowers of Romance and the Banshees and incident with the Damned [ ] Vicious began his musical career in 1976 as a member of along with former co-founding member of, (who later co-founded John Lydon's post-Pistols project ) and and, who would later join. He appeared with, playing drums at their notorious first gig at the in London's. According to members of, Vicious was considered, along with, for the position of lead singer for the Damned, but Vicious failed to show up for the audition. Vicious later contended that Vanian and associates had intentionally withheld information regarding the audition as an act of jealousy to ensure Vicious did not arrive. Soured by the experience, Vicious held a personal grudge for this perceived slight perpetrated against him by Vanian and the Damned, a grudge which would become violent.