Sex Pistols mainman John Lydon says he feels partly responsible for the death of Sid Vicious.
The bassist died of a heroin overdose in 1979 and Lydon reveals he feels bad because he brought Vicious into the band, exposing him to the lifestyle that accompanied the group.
He tells the Gloucestershire Echo: “He didn’t stand a chance. His mother was a heroin addict. I feel bad that I brought him into the band – he couldn’t cope. I feel a bit responsible for his death.
“There you are – I’ve confessed my demons.”
Lydon is currently promoting his book Anger Is My Energy: My Life Uncensored, which he says is a “story of my childhood and Johnny Rotten – not the one invented by Malcolm Mclaren.”
He also explains he got the name Rotten when he was at school because of the state of his teeth.
He adds: “I never used a toothbrush as a kid and only saw my dad using a brush to get the muck off his boots. My teeth and gums were so bad they almost killed me. I’ve spent a small fortune on reconstructive surgery for my choppers.”
Earlier this year, the punk icon was due to star in a US stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar, but the plug was pulled just 10 days before the first show.