Da Capo Press
2017 marks the 40th anniversary of The Sex Pistols‘ only studio album, Never Mind the Bollocks. Coinciding with the milestone, the influential punk band’s guitarist, Steve Jones, has just released a memoir titled Lonely Boy: Tales of a Sex Pistol that delves into his turbulent life.
Lonely Boy arrives about a year after Sex Pistols singer John Lydon‘s autobiography, Anger Is an Energy, and Jones tells ABC Radio that his book gives fans the chance to hear his side of the story. That story not only involves details about the band’s brief yet action-packed time together, but also candid recollections about his often-bleak childhood and post-Sex Pistols life, including getting molested by his stepfather, his penchant for stealing and his battle with heroin addiction.
On his decision to open up about the traumatic aspects of his life, Jones tells ABC Radio, “I think it’s important to have that in there…because that actually was how The Sex Pistols came to be, because of my early years as a young kid and a juvenile delinquent.”
The 61-year-old rocker admits that his talent as a thief came in handy once he began playing in a rock band, since one of his favorite targets was musical equipment. One caper involved stealing equipment right off the stage following one of David Bowie‘s final concerts with The Spiders from Mars.
As for the Sex Pistols, Jones charts the band’s improbable rise to fame and quick fall in Lonely Boy.
“It all aligned for a couple of years, then it imploded. Which, in a way, I guess it’s good,” Jones tells ABC Radio. “It was the perfect beginning, middle and end, like a guitar solo.”
Other interesting recollections Steve shares in the book include collaborating with Iggy Pop and Bob Dylan. Lonely Boy is available now.
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