Johnny Rotten Biography

Birth of Johnny Rotten, as John Joseph Lydon

The Sex Pistols originally comprise vocalist Johnny Rotten, guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook and bassist Glen Matlock (later replaced by Sid Vicious). John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), is spotted by Mick Jones at the now renamed and restyled SEX boutique

Fronts the Sex Pistols at their first gig, giving the band its confrontational vocal identity.

The band play their first gig as Sex Pistols at Saint Martins College

Performs with the Sex Pistols when they support The 101ers, influencing Joe Strummer's move toward punk.

Following a showcase gig held during London's first punk festival, at the 100 Club in Oxford Street, in September 1976, the Sex Pistols sign to the major label EMI

Appears at the 100 Club Punk Festival, helping define the London punk scene.

The band's first single, "Anarchy in the UK", is released

Delivers the vocal on Anarchy in the UK, making the single a notorious statement of punk revolt.

Appears on the Today programme interview that turns the Sex Pistols into a national controversy.

"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" is recorded between March and June 1977, in Wessex Studios, Highbury, London, produced by Chris Thomas

Attends the public signing with A&M Records outside Buckingham Palace.

At a press ceremony held outside Buckingham Palace, the Sex Pistols sign to A&M Records

The band sign their third and final record deal with Virgin Records

The Pistols second single, "God Save the Queen", is released, during the week of Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee, the single reached number one in the NME chart

Sings God Save the Queen, released during the Silver Jubilee period and banned by major broadcasters.

Sings Pretty Vacant, turning the title phrase into a defining punk slogan.

Sings Holidays in the Sun, drawing on the band's experience of Berlin and Cold War imagery.

Performs at the Ivanhoes benefit shows, the band's final British performances of the original era.

The Sex Pistols final UK performance takes place at Ivanhoes, where the band play a matinee and evening show as part of a benefit for the families of striking firemen

After leaving the Pistols, Johnny Rotten reverts to his birth name of Lydon, and forms Public Image Ltd, with former Clash member Keith Levene and school friend Jah Wobble

Rotten announces his departure from the Sex Pistols, amid a turbulent tour of the United States

Public Image Ltd record the post punk classic "Metal Box"

PIL release, "This Is What You Want... This Is What You Get"

Public Image Limited released Album (also known as Compact Disc and Cassette). Most of the tracks on this album were written by Lydon and Bill Laswell

The Sex Pistols reunite for the "Filthy Lucre" tour

Releases a solo album on Virgin Records called Psychos Path, he wrote all the songs and played all the instruments

The Sex Pistols are officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they refused to attend the induction, calling the museum a "piss stain"

Lydon, Jones and Cook re-record Pretty Vacant in a Los Angeles studio for the forthcoming video game "Skate"