Simon John Ritchie (May 10, 1957 – February 2, 1979), better known as Sid Vicious, was an English punk musician, the bass player of the Sex Pistols (replacing Glen Matlock).

Sid Vicious (born Simon John Ritchie)[citation needed] was born in London to John and Anne Ritchie. Shortly after his birth, John Ritchie left the family. John ("Sid") and his mother moved to the island of Ibiza. She married Christopher Beverly in 1965 before setting up a family home back in Kent.

His stepfather died six months later, and by 1968 Ritchie and his mother were living in a rented flat in Tunbridge Wells where he attended Sandown Court School. In 1971 the pair moved to Hackney in East London. He also spent some time living in Somerset where he was a pupil at Clevedon Secondary Modern.

According to the band's photographer, Dennis Morris, Ritchie was "deep down, a shy person".[citation needed] However, he did assault NME journalist Nick Kent with a motorcycle chain.[citation needed] On another occasion, at The Speakeasy (a London nightclub popular with rock stars of the day) he threatened BBC DJ and Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris, which in turn resulted in Harris threatening him with legal action.[citation needed]

Ritchie was given the nickname "Sid" by John Lydon, after Lydon's pet hamster. The animal was described by Lydon as "the softest, furriest, weediest thing on earth".[1] At the time, Ritchie was squatting with Lydon, John Wardle and John Gray