The founder of Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Sonny Barger, died at the age of 83 due to liver cancer. He died on June 29, 2022, at his home in Livermore, California.
Barger, born on October 8, 1938, was an American outlaw biker, the author of five books, and actor in two movies. He founded the motorcycle gang called the Hells Angels and their gang motto is: “Angels Forever, Forever Angels” or AFFA.
Following Barger’s death, he demanded to have a statement posted on his official Facebook page that reads: “If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone. I’ve asked this note be posted immediately after my passing. I’ve lived a long and good life filled with adventure. And I’ve had the privilege to be part of an amazing club. Although I’ve had public persona for decades, I’ve mostly enjoyed special time with my club brothers, my family, and close friends. Please know that I passed peaceful after a brief battle with cancer. But also know that in the end, I was surrounded by what really matters: My wife, Zorana, as well as my loved ones. Keep your head up high, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor.”
At the age of 16, Mr. Barger joined the Army with a forged certificate and was a little more than a year later, he was kicked out. A year before he formed the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Oakland (HAMCO) in Oakland, California, Mr. Barger was part of the Oakland Panthers biker group.
The main motive for forming HAMCO was to form a “close-knit [a] club of men who could jump on their bikes, ride cross-country if they wanted to, and not abide by rules or clocks,” Barger said.
On April 11, 1970, Barger was arrested on narcotics charges. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison before being released in 1988. During his imprisonment, he wrote an autobiography, lifted weights, and did yoga.
In 1982, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and had to have his vocal cords removed. The cause was likely due to the health effects of smoking three packs of Camels a day for 30 years.
According to the Washington Post, “In 1998, he moved from Oakland to suburban Phoenix, dropping his official duties in the Hells Angels but remaining a rank-and-file member. He ran a motorcycle repair shop and mellowed in suburban life, doing yoga and continuing to life weights, a pastime he acquired in prison.”
In Barger’s autobiography, he stated, “To become a real man, you need to join the army first and then do some time in jail.”
Barger, born on October 8, 1938, was an American outlaw biker, the author of five books, and actor in two movies. He founded the motorcycle gang called the Hells Angels and their gang motto is: “Angels Forever, Forever Angels” or AFFA.
Following Barger’s death, he demanded to have a statement posted on his official Facebook page that reads: “If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone. I’ve asked this note be posted immediately after my passing. I’ve lived a long and good life filled with adventure. And I’ve had the privilege to be part of an amazing club. Although I’ve had public persona for decades, I’ve mostly enjoyed special time with my club brothers, my family, and close friends. Please know that I passed peaceful after a brief battle with cancer. But also know that in the end, I was surrounded by what really matters: My wife, Zorana, as well as my loved ones. Keep your head up high, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor.”
At the age of 16, Mr. Barger joined the Army with a forged certificate and was a little more than a year later, he was kicked out. A year before he formed the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Oakland (HAMCO) in Oakland, California, Mr. Barger was part of the Oakland Panthers biker group.
The main motive for forming HAMCO was to form a “close-knit [a] club of men who could jump on their bikes, ride cross-country if they wanted to, and not abide by rules or clocks,” Barger said.
On April 11, 1970, Barger was arrested on narcotics charges. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison before being released in 1988. During his imprisonment, he wrote an autobiography, lifted weights, and did yoga.
In 1982, he was diagnosed with throat cancer and had to have his vocal cords removed. The cause was likely due to the health effects of smoking three packs of Camels a day for 30 years.
According to the Washington Post, “In 1998, he moved from Oakland to suburban Phoenix, dropping his official duties in the Hells Angels but remaining a rank-and-file member. He ran a motorcycle repair shop and mellowed in suburban life, doing yoga and continuing to life weights, a pastime he acquired in prison.”
In Barger’s autobiography, he stated, “To become a real man, you need to join the army first and then do some time in jail.”
