On this day in 1979 Simon John Ritchie otherwise known as Sid Vicious passed away On the evening of 1 February 1979, a small group of friends, including Jerry Only and Howie Pyro, gathered to celebrate Vicious having made bail at a friend’s Manhattan apartment.

Sid was clean, having been on a  methadone program during his time at Rikers Island, but at the dinner gathering,  photographer Peter Kodick, deliver him heroin. He had apparently spent hours during the party looking toward the future, planning an album he would record to get his life and career back on track should he be acquitted. Sid played Max’s along with a stellar line up including Mick Jones, Steve Dior, Matlock (who he replaced in the Pistols) Jerry Nolan to name a few who he played with or made plans to help him record this solo album he had planned. Sadly none of those pans would come to fruition as Sid overdosed at midnight, but everyone present worked together to get him up and walking around to revive him.  Sid died in the night and was discovered dead by his mother, Anne Beverley, early the next morning. Aged just 21.  still to this day its such a sad story to tell and a waste.  RIP Sid.

Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose in New York City. There had been a party to celebrate Vicious’ release on $50,000 (£29,412) bail pending his trial for the murder of his former girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, the previous October. Party guests, said that Vicious had taken heroin at midnight. An autopsy confirmed that Vicious died from an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that was consistent with heroin overdose. A syringe, spoon and heroin residue were discovered near the body.

The Specials were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘The Special A.K.A. Live E.P’. The lead track ‘Too Much Too Young’ was the shortest song to reach No.1 on the UK singles chart in the 1980s that also happened on this very day in 1980.

On this very day in 1978 Van Halen signed a record deal with Warner Brothers.  Seems as good a time as any to play this then…

Oh and it was on February 2nd 1949 that the first ever 45 RPM record was released.  How about that for a fact?