Who is Sid Vicious

'I'll die before I'm 25, and when I do I'll have lived the way I wanted to.'

'My basic nature is going to kill me in six months.'

'I just cash in on the fact that I'm good looking, and I've got a nice figure and girls like me.'

'I didn't even know the Summer of Love was happening. I was too busy playing with my Action Man'

'You just pick up a chord, go twang, and you're got music.'

'I've only ever been in love with a beer bottle and a mirror'

'I've met the man in the street and he's a cunt'

Sid was born in London in 1957. His mother moved to Ibiza not long after Sid was born and his father declined to join them. They moved back to Kent after Sid's mother remarried before returning to London in 1971. His relationship with his drug addict mother was often strained and she threw him out when he was aged just sixteen telling him It's either you or me, and it's not going to be me. I have got to try to preserve myself and you just fuck off.' Sid began living in squats and drifting on the streets.

Already a friend of John Lydon, who christened him Sid Vicious, he began hanging around the London punk scene, where perhaps trying to live up to his nickname he started gaining a reputation for violence. He was arrested and sent to Ashford Remand Centre after throwing a glass at the 100 club and injuring a young woman. Later he would earn further notoriety for attacking the music journalist Nick Kent.

Sid Vicious was invited to join the Sex Pistols after the original bassist Glen Matlock left the group. Not noted for his musical talents, he was nevertheless admitted to the band. Malcom McLaren was particularly impressed by his attitude and charisma. Sid's behaviour became more destructive and attention seeking upon joining the Pistols. As well as his increased drug use and on stage self mutilation he was involved in a number of violent incidents, most notably trashing the offices of A&M records on the day the band signed a contract with the company.

In late 1977 he met Nancy Spungen herself a drug addict. Nancy was not popular with the rest of the band and she is blamed by many for Sid's worsening drug problems.Whatever the truth of the matter it is fair to say the couple did not bring out the best in each other.

In 1978 John Lydon left the Sex Pistols and whilst the rest of the band continued to record for The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, they did not play together as a band again. Vicious left the band shortly after having fallen out with manager Malcolm McLaren and relocated to New York with Nancy.

In the aftermath of the Sex Pistols break up Sid and Nancy left London for New York, booking into the Chelsea Hotel as Mr and Mrs John Ritchie. Nancy began to act as Sid's manager, replacing Malcom McLaren. Sid played a few gigs during this period but by this point their drug problems were so severe that their career prospects did not look good. Their relationship seems to have become increasingly violent at this point and many friends of the couple report feeling shock at the state they were in at this time.

Their relationship came to an abrupt and violent end when Nancy was found dead from a stab wound on their floor of their hotel bathroom. Sid was arrested and released on bail, however he was later sent to Rikers Island after subsequently being charged with assualt. Sid had a tough time in prison and was reportedly raped and assualted by the other prisoners during his fifty five day stay. On the 1st of February 1979 Sid was released from jail and a small party was held to celebrate his release on bail. Sid's mother arranged for some heroin to be brought in for Sid. Vicious was found dead the following morning having overdosed on heroin.

Sid is widely thought to be responsible for the death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.At the time of his death he was out on bail awaiting trial for her murder but there is some evidence to suggest that he may not have been responsible. On the night she died Sid is belived to have taken a very high dose of sedative drugs and it's possible he was in not fit state to kill anyone. There are also questions raised by the fact that over twenty thousand dollars belonging to the couple was missing from the room. This leads some to believe that Nancy may have caught someone robbing their room and been stabbed during an altercation. There are other theories surrounding the death, with some claims that it may have been a suicide pact gone wrong or that Sid may have stabbed Nancy but without intending to kill her during one of their violent rows. Sid's mother claims he left a suicide note on the night he died which would certainly lend credence to the suicide pact theory.

In addition to Sid two other names have cropped up as possible suspects. There are claims that the couple's dealer "Rockets Redglare" confessed to friends that he was responsible for the murder. Others insist that he was not responsible but another man named Michael may in fact have been the killer. Some witnesses claim that a young Englishman who was staying at the hotel and had recently befriended the couple was responsible for Nancy's death. They claim he was seen with a large sum of money tied with one of Nancy's hair ties shortly after the murder and that he had been with the couple on the night Nancy was killed. He has since vanished, apparently without trace. It is now highly unlikely that the truth of what happened on that night will ever be established given how much time has elapsed and the subsequent deaths of both Sid and much later the other possible suspect "Rockets Redglare". The film "Who Killed Nancy?" by British director Alan G Parker examines some of the theories surrounding Nancy's death in depth.