In a recent interview, the legend that is John Lydon revealed an interesting tidbit concerning Sir Mick Jagger. It turns out that while Sex Pistol Sid Vicious was awaiting trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, Jagger stepped in the pay the legal fees.

In the fall of 1978, Vicious was charged with the murder of Spungen, who was found dead in the room she and Vicious shared at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. According to an interview with Lydon in the Daily Mail, "Mick Jagger got in there and brought lawyers into it on Sid’s behalf," he said, "I don’t think Malcolm (McLaren,Sex Pistols manager) lifted a finger. He just didn’t know what to do." Lydon then adds, "For that, I have a good liking of Mick Jagger."

Vicious himself would die four short months later of a heroin overdose. “Nancy Spungen was a hideous, awful person," Lydon continues, "Her death is all entangled in mystery. It’s no real mystery, though. If you are going to get yourself involved in drugs and narcotics in that way accidents are going to happen."

While the punk movement in general, and the Pistols in particular, had a subtext agenda of dismissing all that came before them, Lydon admits he has nothing but great respect for Jagger. “There was activity behind the scenes from Mick Jagger, so I applaud him. He never used it to advance himself publicity-wise.”