Founder of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, Sonny Barger, died at his home in California on June 29th. He was 83 years old when he passed away from liver cancer.
Barger was the cornerstone for Motorcycle Gang tropes, long-bearded, burly men fashioned from head to toe in denim. The media portrayed them as dare-devils hurtling down highways nonchalantly in their motorcycles, groups of these intimidating men visiting shops and bars startling locals.
Born Ralph Hubert Barger Jr. in 1938, Sonny had an uncommon childhood. His birth mother left when he was four months old, leaving just his dad to care for him. His dad would often spend his nights—and money—at bars which he would usually bring Sonny to. His father’s second wife also ran off, taking much of the family’s things.
His lifestyle exposed Sonny to a lot of obscenity at a young age. “…he rejected what he called the “tongue-yammering Holy Rollers,” smoked his first marijuana cigarette at 14, dropped out of high school at 16, and joined the Army with a forged birth certificate,” according to Paul W. Valentine, The Washington Post journalist.
After being caught by military authorities, they sent Barger home, where he jumped from job to job. “I couldn’t get a grip on this nine-to-five working stuff,” he wrote.
He joined the Oakland Panthers biker group in 1956. Entering his first biker group introduced him to the free, unrestricted lifestyle while biking cross-country.
The Hell’s Angels were known to be outlaws—Barger was known to be involved in many of these crimes. In 1988, plotting to murder and blow up the headquarters of a rival club got him sentenced to five years in prison. He served eight years in jail for multiple accounts of drug and firearm abuse after actively using cocaine and selling heroin in the 1970s.
An infamous crime linked to the Angels happened at a 1969 Rolling Stones concert where the band hired the Hell’s Angels to provide security at the show. However, as the Angels tried to prevent eager fans from rushing to the concert stage, large groups of people continued to swarm around it even as the band began playing.
Among this group was 18-year-old Meredith Hunter. Hunter fired a shot aimed at an Angel, causing them to attempt to subdue him. Amid the moment, an Angel fatally stabbed Hunter, but after claiming it was an act of self-defense, the court absolved his charges.
Barger was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1982 after endlessly smoking cigarettes for 30 years. He had a surgically placed hole in his throat which he learned to talk through, which made his voice extremely raspy.
Beneath Sonny Barger’s rough and stocky outward appearance was a diligent businessman who was fantastic in marketing. He strategically promoted his Hell’s Angels merchandise in articles such as t-shirts, yo-yos, and wines. He trademarked the club’s logos and occasionally hosted charity drives for children’s necessities.
“He’s smart and he’s crafty, and he has a kind of wild animal cunning,” said author Hunter S. Thompson in a Washington Post interview. Thompson spent a year with the club as research for his book, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga.
Sonny Barger had an iconic presence in the rise of biker gangs and motorcycle clubs. His influence on the world is hard to forget.
Barger was the cornerstone for Motorcycle Gang tropes, long-bearded, burly men fashioned from head to toe in denim. The media portrayed them as dare-devils hurtling down highways nonchalantly in their motorcycles, groups of these intimidating men visiting shops and bars startling locals.
Born Ralph Hubert Barger Jr. in 1938, Sonny had an uncommon childhood. His birth mother left when he was four months old, leaving just his dad to care for him. His dad would often spend his nights—and money—at bars which he would usually bring Sonny to. His father’s second wife also ran off, taking much of the family’s things.
His lifestyle exposed Sonny to a lot of obscenity at a young age. “…he rejected what he called the “tongue-yammering Holy Rollers,” smoked his first marijuana cigarette at 14, dropped out of high school at 16, and joined the Army with a forged birth certificate,” according to Paul W. Valentine, The Washington Post journalist.
After being caught by military authorities, they sent Barger home, where he jumped from job to job. “I couldn’t get a grip on this nine-to-five working stuff,” he wrote.
He joined the Oakland Panthers biker group in 1956. Entering his first biker group introduced him to the free, unrestricted lifestyle while biking cross-country.
The Hell’s Angels were known to be outlaws—Barger was known to be involved in many of these crimes. In 1988, plotting to murder and blow up the headquarters of a rival club got him sentenced to five years in prison. He served eight years in jail for multiple accounts of drug and firearm abuse after actively using cocaine and selling heroin in the 1970s.
An infamous crime linked to the Angels happened at a 1969 Rolling Stones concert where the band hired the Hell’s Angels to provide security at the show. However, as the Angels tried to prevent eager fans from rushing to the concert stage, large groups of people continued to swarm around it even as the band began playing.
Among this group was 18-year-old Meredith Hunter. Hunter fired a shot aimed at an Angel, causing them to attempt to subdue him. Amid the moment, an Angel fatally stabbed Hunter, but after claiming it was an act of self-defense, the court absolved his charges.
Barger was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1982 after endlessly smoking cigarettes for 30 years. He had a surgically placed hole in his throat which he learned to talk through, which made his voice extremely raspy.
Beneath Sonny Barger’s rough and stocky outward appearance was a diligent businessman who was fantastic in marketing. He strategically promoted his Hell’s Angels merchandise in articles such as t-shirts, yo-yos, and wines. He trademarked the club’s logos and occasionally hosted charity drives for children’s necessities.
“He’s smart and he’s crafty, and he has a kind of wild animal cunning,” said author Hunter S. Thompson in a Washington Post interview. Thompson spent a year with the club as research for his book, Hell’s Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga.
Sonny Barger had an iconic presence in the rise of biker gangs and motorcycle clubs. His influence on the world is hard to forget.
