John Lydon (Photo: Joanne Ostrowski / Live4ever)
The Who guitarist Pete Townshend has revealed Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten was his number one choice for the cult film Quadrophenia.
Townshend was speaking to Music-News after an acoustic performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and said the plans to cast Johnny may have fallen through after a night’s drinking with the director.
“I knew him as he’d been using my studio in Soho, what a diamond, and so smart but unfortunately we went out with the director,” he said.
“Johnny Rotten liked to drink and so did I, and we went out and got pissed and I drove my car the wrong way around a roundabout. We went to Camden Palais together and I got stopped by the police and they hauled us out.”
“Anyway I think he decided not to do it, I don’t think it was us. I really wanted him. I don’t know how good he would have been, but he’s very very intense he could have been good.”
The full interview can be read here.