Steve Jones: who was Sex Pistols lead guitarist, did he date Chrissie Hynde, where is he now?

Sex Pistols fans are reliving the heyday of the iconic punk band with the new Disney+ show Pistol.

The fast and furious rockstar lives of Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious is well-documented in pop culture, but the other members of the were band also swept up in the buzz of the late 1970s punk scene.

Steve Jones was a founding member of the band, with Pistol based on his 2016 memoir ‘Lonely Boy’.

The gustarist had a lasting impact on the music industry following the controversial break-up of the Sex Pistols.

Here’s everything you need to know about the musician.

Who is Steve Jones?

Steve Jones was born in Shepherd’s Bush, London in September 1955, making him currently 66-years-old.

As a young man, he formed a band called The Strand with Wally Nightingale and Paul Cook in the early 1970s.

In 1975, the band dropped Nightingale and brought in Glen Matlock and John Lyndon - also known as Johnny Rotten - and renamed themselves the Sex Pistols. They were later joined by Sid Vicious after Matlock left the group in 1977.

During their first live review in the NME, Jones, who played guitar in the band, said that the Sex Pistols were “not into music. We’re into chaos.”

The Sex Pistols saw success with the release of their first single ‘Anarchy In The UK’, which is considered to be one of the most influential rock songs of the 20th century, and was considered to be one of the first bands to launch the punk movement in the UK.

The band went continued making headlines with songs such as ‘God Save The Queen’ and ‘Pretty Vacant’, and became infamous for their prickly persona on-stage and in interviews.

Bill Price, the sound engineer on the Sex Pistols debut album ‘Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols’, claimed that Jones was one of the best guitarists he had ever worked with.

The guitarist was addicted to drug and alcohol during the height of the band’s fame, while Jones has maintained that joining the band saved him from a life of crime.

Did Steve Jones leave the Sex Pistols?

The Sex Pistols were synonymous with a tumultuous life off-stage.

Despite the lasting impact on the music industry and the rock and punk genres, the band was only active for three years from 1975 to 1978.

Following a rocky US tour in 1978, Johnny Rotten announced the break-up of the band. This was further cemented after bassist Sid Vicious died from a heroin overdose in February 1979.

Following the split, Jones and drummer Paul Cook went on to form The Professionals, a venture which lasted from 1979 until 1982.

Did Steve Jones date Chrissie Hynde?

Viewers of Pistol on Disney+ may have been surprised to see the inclusion of The Pretenders’ lead singer Chrissie Hynde as a character.

The singer was closely linked to Jones during the height of the Sex Pistols fame.

The couple met while Hynde was working at a London boutique owned by Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood.

Jones and Hynde dated for a short time and broke-up soon after, but they have remained friends since they called time on the relationship.

What is Steve Jones doing now?

Since the breakup of the band in 1978, Jones has reunited with fellow ex-members Johnny Rotten, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook for one-off gigs.

During the 1980s, Jones was a member of the band Chequered Past before also releasing solo music.

He has also continued to perform regularly and has performed with musicians such as Bob Dylan, Billy Idol, Joan Jett and Iggy Pop.

In the 2010s, Jones launched a radio show in Los Angeles called Jonesy’s Jukebox, and even invited famous friends on to dicuss music.

This included Chrissie Hynde, Johnny Rotten and actor Gary Oldman, who portrayed Sid Vicious in the 1986 film ‘Sid and Nancy’.

Jones was, however, forced to cut the show back in 2019 after he suffered health complications following a heart attack.

Who plays Steve Jones in Pistol?

Pistol, directored by acclaimed director Danny Boyle, is based on Jones’ autobiography ‘Lonely Boy’.

The book and the Disney+ series details the founding of the group and their rise to infamy.

In the show, Jones is portrayed by Toby Wallace, who is known for his role in 2019 film Babyteeth.

Anson Boon plays Johnny Rotten, with Christian Lee playing Glen Matlock and Jacob Slater playing Paul Cook.

Derry Girls’ Dylan Llewellyn joins the cast as Wally Nightingale, while Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams also stars.

Jones’ close friend Chrissie Hynde also appears in the show, played by Syndey Chandler.

When is Pistol on?

Fans can watch Pistol on Disney+ from Tuesday 31 May.

There will be six episodes in the series, which will be released every Tuesday.