John Simon Ritchie ,better known as Sid Vicious, was the bass guitar player of the Sex Pistols and has become an icon of punk music. Famous for his idiosyncratic appearance, anarchistic music and scandal-ridden personal life, Vicious has become one of the most familiar figures in rock music. His often violent and rocky relationship with Nancy Spungen, had a disastrous effect on the Sex Pistols. Both the group and Ritchie visibly deteriorated during their 1978 American tour. The Pistols broke up in San Francisco after their concert at the Winterland Ballroom on January 14, 1978. With Spungen acting as his "manager," Ritchie embarked on a solo career during which he performed with musicians including Mick Jones of The Clash, original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, Rat Scabies of The Damned and the New York Dolls' Arthur Kane, Jerry Nolan, and Johnny Thunders.