6. Vicious Was Suicidal From a Young Age
Sid Vicious had a troubled and difficult childhood. While attending the Kingsway College, a school for difficult and previously expelled youth, a counselor singled him out for one-on-one sessions after he heard Vicious talking about suicide. The counselor asked Vicious to bring a friend for support, and he brought friend John Wardle, better known now as Jah Wobble of Public Image Ltd., along with to the session.
The counselor told Wardle that Vicious seemed to be considering suicide. Wardle, assuming it was a joke, replied that “Sid might as well end it all.” To his surprise and horror, Vicious nodded seriously in response. Wardle later reflected that he and Vicious both thought the counseling session would be a laugh, but he left realizing that Vicious had a dark and deeply broken side of him.
Wardle later commented, after Vicious’ death, that his home life was basically a “black hole” due to his mother’s lifestyle of drug abuse. She wasn’t involved in his life, and he had no role models or supervision. He realized, later in life, that Vicious was deeply damaged and sad with no one willing to help him. This revelation lends a rather tragic tone to Vicious’ antics.