Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones never thought he’d live to see 70. Given the reckless abandon of the punk era—where excess, addiction, and self-destruction were part of the lifestyle—it’s not hard to see why. Many of his contemporaries didn’t make it, including his own bandmate, Sid Vicious, who died at just 21.
When asked in a recent interview with Blunt Magazine as to whether he thought he would live to 70, he had a rather blunt response. “Nah, but I never thought I’d be dead either. I like it. I like the experience of life. You only get one go around; you know.” It’s a sobering reflection from someone who lived through the Pistols’ most chaotic years. Where drugs, violence, and controversy followed the band at every turn.
The punk scene of the late ‘70s was littered with casualties, and Vicious became its most infamous. His heroin addiction spiralled out of control, culminating in the death of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen in 1978. Awaiting trial for her murder, he overdosed in early 1979, a stark reminder of how fast it could all fall apart.
Jones had his own battles, both during and after the Pistols’ brief but seismic career. His struggles with addiction nearly claimed him too, but unlike Vicious, he managed to escape it. Though he’s been open about the toll those years took on him, he’s still here—a rare survivor of a movement that never planned for the long haul.
These early deaths are often romanticised in culture as adding to the ‘myth’ of celebrity. The infamous “27 Club” – a tragic tally of musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse who died at that age. Their deaths have become as much a part of their legacy as their music. Fortunately for Jones, he never made that cut.
With the Sex Pistols set to tour Australia in April 2025, featuring Frank Carter on vocals, Jones stands as one of the few left to tell the tale.
MORE IN Music
