Time Capsule: Feb. 2, 1979

Today is the 30th anniversary of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious' death.

Vicious (real name John Ritchie) died when his lungs filled with water after he overdosed on heroin and fell asleep. Vicious' mother had heroin delivered to her house at a dinner gathering and Vicious had some, despite having been off heroin since the previous October.

Vicious was previously arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, who was found dead on Oct. 12, 1978 in room 100 of New York's Chelsea Hotel. Ten days after Spungen was found dead, Vicious tried to kill himself and was later sent to hospital. Vicious was charged with Spungen's murder the next month, and was sent to jail after being arrested for assault that December. He was released on bail on Feb. 1, 1979.

The heroin Vicious was sold was 99 per cent pure, which has led some to believe that he was sold the drug by someone who intended to kill him (i.e.: such a strong dose that his body could not take it and it killed him).

Vicious, who was born on May 10, 1957, was just 22 at the time of his death. He'd already developed a reputation for his chaotic behaviour, which included excessive drug consumption and cutting himself on stage. When he joined the Sex Pistols in 1977, he was such a bad bass player that the band often had to keep his bass unplugged at shows.

Sid Vicious' "My Way":