What happened to Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious? Cause of death explored ahead of Hulu miniseries Pistol

Sid Vicious was originally born as John Simon Ritchie on May 10, 1957, in London to unmarried parents. As a child, he moved to Ibiza for a short while before eventually returning to England with his mother, following which he first met John Lydon at Hackney Technical College.

Sid became one of Lydon's greatest admirers when he joined The Sex Pistols in August 1975. Not long after, Sid was also recruited as the band's bassist by his friend John when Glen Matlock left in February 1977.

The Sex Pistols, which included Johnny Rotten on vocals, Steve Jones on guitar, Paul Cook on drums, and Glen Matlock/Sid Vicious on bass, wrote hits including God Save the Queen and Anarchy in the U.K. They were well-known for their revolutionary music and style and for being on the frontline of the punk rock movement during the 1970s.

The six-part limited series Pistol, dropping on Hulu this May 31, directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle, will narrate the story of these punk rockstars and their rise to fame. Sid Vicious will be played by Enola Holmes star Louis Partridge, giving the edge to the the controversial character.

---

What happened to the Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious?

In 1977, when Sid Vicious met the infamous American groupie and alleged drug addict Nancy Spungen, his life took an unexpected turn. The two became an inseparable couple ever since their first meeting.

Sid went from a fun-loving, bright teenager to a violent addict frantically attempting to live up to the moniker Vicious as a result of his substance abuse, drug addiction and often abusive relationship with Spungen. It also increased already rising tensions within the band, leading to the Sex Pistols' break-up less than a year after Sid joined, in January 1978.

He was convinced to record a cover version of My Way after John Lydon's departure for Malcolm McLaren's fictionalised parody of the Sex Pistols narrative, The Great Rock n Roll Swindle. The track proved to be his cultural tombstone, with his singing skills far outweighing his bass playing.

---

How did Sid Vicious die?

When Nancy Spungen's dead body was discovered in the couple's New York hotel room on October 12, 1978, Sid became the main suspect, although he had no recollection of the night's events owing to his drug usage. It has not been established for certain whether or not he was responsible for what happened, with people coming up with distinctive theories about the murder mystery.

A few months after the incident, Sid Vicious died from a heroin overdose. On February 2, 1979, his dead body was discovered by his Michelle Robinson, a friend, and mother, Ann Beverly, in Ms. Robinson's Greenwich Village apartment.

The police stated that the punk star had been consuming heroin during a party thrown at the apartment to commemorate his release from prison the previous day. Authorities also revealed that a syringe, spoon, and a substance, most likely heroin residue, were discovered near Vicious' dead body.

Speaking about his death, a police spokesperson said that he had no intentions of killing himself (after the death of Spungen, Sid tried to kill himself, showing suicidal signs):

"It was an accident."

The official website of The Sex Pistol states:

"However, Sid would never get the chance to clear his name as he fatally overdosed on February 2nd, 1979 – most likely by accident – a day after his release on bail from New York’s Rikers Island Prison. Unfortunately, aged just 21, Sid Vicious ended up just another sex, drugs and rock and roll cliche. Everything he would have hated…"

---

Catch the in-depth story of Sid Vicious' rise to fame and his ultimate downfall due to substance abuse and addiction on Hulu's upcoming limited series Pistol, premiering on May 31, 2022 at 12:01 am ET.