Malcolm McLaren Biography

Birth of Malcolm McLaren

McLaren and his girlfriend, the designer Vivienne Westwood, opened a London clothing shop called Let It Rock on the King's Road

Shapes the band's image and management after returning from New York and taking control of the group.

McLaren returns to Britain, by which time he had renamed his King's Road shop SEX, selling S&M (sadomasochistic) style clothing

By 1976, McLaren had started to manage The Strand, the band who would later become the Sex Pistols

Lydon, now dubbed "Johnny Rotten", is brought in to audition as a new frontman, Rotten joins, and The Strand is renamed The Sex Pistols (McLaren stating he wanted them to sound like "sexy young assassins").

McLaren introduces his band The Strand to bassist Glen Matlock (who worked in SEX).

McLaren's assistant, Bernie Rhodes (soon to be manager of The Clash), spots John Lydon who was then sporting green hair, and torn clothes with the words "I hate" scribbled on his Pink Floyd shirt.

McLaren introduces his band The Strand to bassist Glen Matlock (who worked in SEX). By 1976, McLaren had started to manage The Strand, the band who would later become the Sex Pistols

Uses the television controversy to increase the Sex Pistols' notoriety and public profile.

McLaren organises a boat trip down the Thames where the Sex Pistols would perform their music outside Houses of Parliament, the boat is raided by the police and McLaren is arrested, thus achieving his goal to attain publicity

The band release their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. The band release "God Save the Queen" during the week of Queen Elizabeth IIs Silver Jubilee.

Sees the A&M contract collapse within days after escalating controversy around the band.

Organises a Jubilee week boat performance on the Thames that ends with police intervention.

The band release their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols

Cook and Jones star in the McLaren-scripted The Great Rock n Roll Swindle, directed by Julien Temple, the movie is McLaren's fictionalised account of the Pistols history;

McLaren is accused by band members (most notably by John Lydon) of mismanaging them and refusing to pay them when they asked him for money & they split during the American tour.

McLaren is accused by band members (most notably by John Lydon) of mismanaging them and refusing to pay them when they asked him for money & they split during the American tour

McLaren was approached by Adam Ant to manage Adam and the Ants following their debut album release in late 1979, soon after which three members of the band seceded to create Bow Wow Wow under McLarens management

McLaren releases Duck Rock, an album which mixed up influences from Africa and the Americas, including hip-hop

McLaren kept the Sex Pistols contract rights until Lydon took him to court in the 1980s to win the rights and unpaid revenues from McLaren. Lydon won and gained complete control from McLaren in 1987

Death of Malcolm McLaren