What Was Sid Vicious' Net Worth?
Sid Vicious was an English musician and vocalist who had a net worth of $100 thousand at the time of his death in 1979. That's the same as around $400,000 in today's dollars. Sid Vicious was best known for being the bass guitar player and vocalist for the Sex Pistols. The band's only studio album "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" was released in 1977 and hit #1 on the UK charts. Their most popular songs include "God Save the Queen," "Anarchy in the U.K.," and "C'mon Everybody." The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 but refused to attend the ceremony.
During the recording of their album, Sid was hospitalized with hepatitis, and his bass only ended up being partially featured on one song on the album. He appeared as the lead vocalist for the soundtrack of The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Sid's girlfriend was his manager Nancy Spungen. Nancy was stabbed while staying in a hotel with Sid, and he was under suspicion of committing her murder. Vicious was later arrested for assaulting a man at a nightclub and took part in drug rehabilitation on Rikers Island. Sid's mother had supplied drugs to him since he was young and helped him get heroin the night that he passed away in his sleep on February 2, 1979, at 21 years old. Vicious was also a part of the bands Siouxsie and the Banshees, Vicious White Kids, and The Flowers of Romance.
Early Life
Sid Vicious was born Simon John Ritchie on May 10, 1957, in Lewisham, London, England. He was the son of John and Anne Ritchie. His mother relocated to Ibiza with the hope of his father joining them, but he never showed up or provided any financial assistance. She resorted to selling marijuana to make ends meet.
A few years later, the British Embassy came to Anne's aid, and she was able to return to England. They settled in Tunbridge Wells for a while, then moved to Stoke Newington in 1971, where Ritchie attended Clissold Park School.
Life kept getting worse for both Ritchie and his mom over the years. She fell into heroin addiction, and Ritchie, who attended Westminster Kingsway College at the time, became increasingly rebellious and self-destructive.
When Ritchie turned 16, Anne kicked him out of the house. While living on the streets, he met another Kingsway student, John Lydon, who introduced him to his friends John Grey and John Wardle. The four of them decided to ditch school and formed 'The Four Johns.'
In 1975, Lydon parted ways with the Four Johns and joined forces with Jones, Glen Matlock, and Paul Cook to establish the Sex Pistols under Malcolm McLaren's management. With his buddy gone, Ritchie (now known as Sid Vicious) had to walk his own path.
The Flowers of Romance and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976)
In 1976, Vicious co-founded the Flowers of Romance together with Keith Levene and Viv Albertine. While he started out as a vocalist and saxophone player, he learned to play bass as well.
The Flowers of Romance composed songs that were later covered by other bands. They never played them live or recorded any music. Despite this, Vicious attracted the attention of The Damned. He was in the running for their lead singer role, competing with Dave Vanian. Unfortunately, he missed the audition, leading the band to select Vanian instead.
On the night of September 21, 1976, Sid showed up intoxicated at the 100 Club Punk festival. While The Damned were playing on stage, he threw his glass towards Vanian but failed to hit his target. The glass shattered against a pillar and ended up blinding a woman in one eye. Vicious was arrested and sent to Ashford Remand Centre but got out after a short period.
Getty Images
Sex Pistols (1977–1978)
In 1977 the Sex Pistols dismissed their bassist, Glen Matlock. Vicious, with his messy look and defiant demeanor fit what their manager Malcolm McLaren was seeking in a replacement. So, Vicious was brought on board as the bassist for the Sex Pistols in spite of his little experience playing bass.
The band played tracks that expressed the discontent and unrest of the era's social and political atmosphere. These songs deeply connected with punk fans, who showered the band with lots of affection and backing.
In March 1977, the Sex Pistols signed a contract with A&M Records. Their celebrations got out of hand and escalated into violence, leading to A&M severing ties with them the very next day. To top it off, Capital Radio decided to ban all songs by the Sex Pistols from its stations.
The band continued receiving support from their fans even after all those messes. They went on a tour performing at venues in cities throughout the United Kingdom before expanding internationally with concerts in countries such as the Netherlands and the United States. They officially launched their sole album, "Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols," on October 28, 1977. It debuted at #1 on the UK Album Charts, then went gold on November 17.
Things really began going downhill for Vicious when he started seeing Nancy Spungen, an American groupie living in London. She had a history of mental instability and was also a heroin addict. Before he knew it, Vicious was hooked too. His performances started tanking, he bailed on band practices and recording gigs, and he couldn't stop fighting with his bandmates. It got so bad that the Sex Pistols eventually called it quits
Post Sex Pistols
After the Sex Pistols broke up, Spungen stepped in as Vicious' manager and landed him a band and some gigs. They drew large crowds, though some performances were horrendous, with the audience booing and Vicious hurling insults at them. The two tried to get clean briefly, but they soon fell back into drug abuse.
(Photo by Watal Asanuma/Shinko Music/Getty Images)
Murder of Nancy Spungen
On the morning of October 12, 1978, a terrible incident unfolded for the couple. Nancy Spungen was found dead on the bathroom floor of their room, at the Chelsea Hotel. She had been stabbed with a knife she had gifted Vicious. At the time, Sid was discovered wandering in the hallway, looking disoriented due to drug use. His state shifted between claiming memory loss about what happened and occasionally confessing to the deed.
Vicious was charged with second-degree murder. He managed to secure his release a few days later on a $50,000 bail provided by The Sex Pistol's record label. He experienced sorrow after Spungen's death and attempted suicide upon his release from custody. On December 7, 1978, he found himself incarcerated again after being involved in an altercation at a club in New York City. This time he spent weeks in jail at Rikers Island.
Death and Aftermath
On the morning of February 1, 1979, Vicious was let out from Rikers Island upon completing his detox program. To mark his freedom, he hosted a party at actress Michelle Robinson's residence. He relapsed into heroin usage that evening and was found lifeless due to a drug overdose the next morning.
Legacy
Even though he tragically passed away at a young age, Vicious remains a punk rock icon to this day. Many bands like Helpless Huw have dedicated songs to him. He has also been immortalized in movies, most notably in the 1986 musical/romance "Sid and Nancy," in which he was portrayed by Gary Oldman.
