Sid Vicious was born John Simon Ritchie on May 10, 1957, in London, England. One of the most mythic figures of the 1970s punk explosion, Sid Vicious became famous for his edgy, rebellious persona and his self-destructive tendencies. As a teenager, he floundered, dropping out of school. Hanging around London, he was one of the many disaffected youth to embrace the punk spirit of anarchy and rebellion.
With his spiky hair, disheveled appearance, and bad attitude, Vicious was considered the ideal person to join the leading punk group, the Sex Pistols. He was brought in by the band's manager, Malcolm McLaren, to replace original bassist Glen Matlock in 1977, even though he didn't even know how to play the instrument.
After the band broke up in 1978, Vicious holed up in New York's Chelsea Hotel with his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Their relationship was full of ups and downs, leading to the eventual mysterious murder of Spunger. Not long after, on February 2, 1979, Vicious was found dead in New York City.
Below are some of photographs of Sid Vicious from the 1970s.
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| Sex Pistols performing at Brunel University, 1977. |
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| Sid Vicious and Darby Crash at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco, California after the Sex Pistols broke up, 1978. |
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| Nancy Spungen, Sid Vicious and Lemmy Kilmister. |
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| Sid Vicious and Siouxsie Sioux on stage with the Banshees during the bands debut gig at the 100 Club Punk Special. London, 1976. |
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| Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols at Brunel University in Uxbridge. December 16th, 1977. |
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| Sid Vicious at Mabuhay Gardens in San Francisco, California. Photo by Jim Jocoy, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious at The Roxy in London, 1977. |
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| Sid Vicious in London, 1977. |
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| Sid Vicious dancing to Alice Bag. Mabuhay Gardens, San Francisco, California. |
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| Sid Vicious in London, 1977. |
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| Sid Vicious in London, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious in Texas, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious on stage with the Sex Pistols at the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas, Texas, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious spits at the audience at Randy’s Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols, 1978. |
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| Siouxie Sioux with Sid Vicious on drums at the 100 Club, 1976. |
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| The Sex Pistols performing live in Holland, 1977. |
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| Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols covered in blood on stage in Dallas, TX. January 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious of The Sex Pistols covered in blood on stage in Dallas, TX. January 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious in ‘My Way’, 1978. |
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| Sid Vicious, Tulsa, OK, 1978. |
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| Viv Albertine and Sid Vicious in 1976. |
