Sid Vicious

John Simon Ritchie-Beverly (May 10, 1957, London - February 2, 1979, New York), better known as Sid Vicious, was an English punk rock musician and member of the band the Sex Pistols. He died from a drug overdose at the age of 21.

The Deaths of Sid and Nancy

Meanwhile Vicious and Spungen had become locked in their own world of drug addiction and self-destruction. Interview footage shows the couple attempting to answer questions from their bed: Spungen is barely coherent while Vicious lapses in and out of consciousness. Vicious also came very close to death following a heroin overdose and was hospitalised for a time.

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On the morning of October 12 1978 Vicious allegedly awoke from a drugged stupour to find Spungen crumpled dead on the bathroom floor of room 100 in the Hotel Chelsea in New York. She had received a single stab wound to her abdomen and apparently bled to death. Vicious was arrested and charged with her murder although he said he had no memory of having done so. However, he later claimed to have "killed her because I'm a dirty dog." There are unsubstantiated theories Spungen was murdered by someone else, usually said to be one of the many drug dealers who visited the apartment.

Related Topics:
October 12 - 1978 - Hotel Chelsea - New York

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Bail of $50,000 was put up by Virgin Records at the request of Malcolm McLaren and in February 1979 a party to celebrate his release was held at the home of his new girlfriend Michelle Robinson. During his time at Rikers Island prison Vicious had undergone drug rehabilitation therapy and was supposedly clean. However at the party he obtained some heroin from his mother Ann Beverley and was discovered dead the following morning, having taken a large overdose. Speculation has persisted that Vicious, unable to live without his beloved Nancy, took his own life. He wrote the following poem about her:

Related Topics:
1979 - Rikers Island

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:You were my little baby girl,

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:I knew all your fears.

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:Such joy to hold you in my arms

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:and kiss away your tears.

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:But now you're gone, there's only pain

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:and nothing I can do.

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:And I don't want to live this life,

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:If I can't live for you.

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After Sid's death his mother phoned Nancy's mother to request that Vicious be buried next to Nancy but Deborah Spungen declined. There are several myths about what happened to Vicious' remains but one of the most persistent is that late one night "Sid's mother jumped the graveyard fence where Nancy was buried and scattered his ashes over his beloved for them to be together for all time."

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According to the Guardian newspaper, "It's more likely that Ma Vicious arrived back at Heathrow with his remains. Malcolm McLaren claims she knocked them over in the arrivals lounge; hence the fanciful myth that Sid's essence still circulates, wafting through the air vents and moving among the travellers." http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,13887,1415153,00.html

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Sid Sings, a solo album, was released posthumously by Virgin Records. This was mostly a collection of cover versions of rock-'n'-roll numbers such as "C'mon Everybody" and "Something Else" by Eddie Cochran along with material by Iggy Pop and Johnny Thunders and a rendition of the Paul Anka / Frank Sinatra standard "My Way." Striking footage of Vicious performing this song in Paris provides the closing sequence for Julien Temple's film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.

Related Topics:
Sid Sings - Virgin Records - Something Else - Eddie Cochran - Iggy Pop - Johnny Thunders - Paul Anka - Frank Sinatra - My Way - Julien Temple - The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle

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