Malcolm McLaren

LONDON (AP) - The former manager of the Sex Pistols and one of the seminal figures of the punk rock era, Malcolm McLaren, died Thursday. He was 64.

A man who identified himself as his son Joe Corre said McLaren died of cancer in Switzerland.

"He was the original punk rocker and revolutionized the world," Corre said in a telephone interview. "He's somebody I'm incredibly proud of. He's a real beacon of a man for people to look up to."

The multitalented McLaren rose to fame as the colorful manager of The Sex Pistols, but the art college dropout is also known for the infamous clothes shop he opened on London's King's Road with his then-girlfriend Vivienne Westwood in 1971.

The shop changed its name and focus several times, operating as "SEX" and "World's End" and "Seditionaries" at various times before she and McLaren split.

Music journalist Jon Savage, who wrote "England's Dreaming," a history of the Sex Pistols and punk, said that "without Malcolm McLaren there would not have been any British punk."

"He's one of the rare individuals who had a huge impact on the cultural and social life of this nation."

In addition to music and fashion, McLaren also dabbled in journalism and filmmaking - working in Hollywood with directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg.

Earlier the AP spoke with Les Molloy, which British media identified as McLaren's agent. Molloy said McLaren had died in New York but Corre said that was wrong, and that Molloy was no longer McLaren's agent and was not authorized to speak for the family.

Repeated calls to Molloy since then have not been answered.

McLaren is survived by Corre and his longtime partner Young Kim.

Corre said that while funeral arrangements have yet to be made, McLaren had wanted to be buried in north London's stately Highgate cemetery, near where he was born.


Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press