10 Fascinating Stories Behind Rock Music Star Stage Names
4. Once Bitten - Sid Vicious
Born Simon Richie, Sid Vicious joined the Sex Pistols in 1977 after original bass player Glen Matlock was fired for "liking The Beatles".
Sid made a brief appearance on their only studio album in that same year, helped contribute to the band's downfall due to his unstable behaviour, got arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, and then died in 1979 aged just 21.
That brings a whole new meaning to "live fast, die young".
Despite his brief time on this Earth, Vicious is still remembered as a punk hero to this day, thanks in part to his memorable stage name. It came from a very un-punk place; namely a hamster that belonged to his parents.
John Lydon, whose own fake name was Johnny Rotten, got bitten by the hamster whilst visiting his bandmate, leading to him labelling the creature "vicious". As the hamster was named Sid after Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, you can see how one thing led to another.
As for Johnny Rotten, he got his nickname because he never used to brush his teeth, which is much less wholesome than being named after a fluffy pet.