Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols manager, controversial artist and filmmaker has died at the age of 64 in a Swiss hospital. He had been suffering from mesothelioma for some years. Though he was best known for his musical work, both as a promoter and as a performer, his interest in the arts was extensive and he made significant contributions to the world of cinema.
Committed from an early age to finding innovative and unusual ways of bringing about social change, McLaren became one of the most influential figures in the popular culture of the 20th century. His political passions led to him to support many anti-establishment causes and in 1980 he collaborated with the young Julien Temple in bringing his punk project to the big screen in The Great Rock N' Roll Swindle, but he would go on to contribute to more mainstream projects like Fast Food Nation. He contributed to numerous film soundtracks, being cited as an inspiration by Quentin Tarantino during the production of Kill Bill, and he even tried a spot of acting in The Ghosts Of Oxford Street.
McLaren is survived by his partner Young Kim and the son, Joseph, whom he had with fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. He had been living in New York but is expected to be buried in London's Highgate Cemetery.
