London ? The former manager of the Sex Pistols and one of the seminal figures of the punk rock era, Malcolm McLaren, died Thursday, his son said. He was 64.

Joe Corre said his father died of an aggressive form of cancer in Switzerland, declining to give the exact location.

“He was the original punk rocker and revolutionized the world,” Corre told The Associated Press 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.”

McLaren is best known for his work with the Pistols, whose violence, swearing, and antiestablishment antics shocked Britain and revolutionized the music scene. The band’s chaotic career owed much to their manager’s talent for self-promotion.

“Without Malcolm McLaren there would not have been any British punk,” said music journalist Jon Savage, who wrote “England’s Dreaming” — which chronicles the history of the group.