Last Wednesday, Sonny Barger, founder and leader of Hells Angels, died at age 83 from liver cancer. His influence in the biker community, however, will continue to live on.
Barger grew up without a mother. His father worked as a day laborer and often spent his nights at bars, bringing Barger with him. According to his autobiography, it was during this time where he lived off stolen pretzels and eggs, and learned his first cuss words from a parrot. After his troubled teenage years, he joined his first bike club, the Oakland Panthers. The following year, Barger created his own motorcycle club that would become the face of stereotypical bikers.
Over the following years after 1956 , Barger’s motorcycle club, Hells Angels, grew into a successful and stable franchise that stretched from American and Canada to Europe. Its growing members list were all male and virtually all white.
Barger’s abrasive attitude brought successful entrepreneur deals. He constantly promoted and marketed Hells Angel’s T-Shirts, yo-yos, and other commodities. Despite their legitimate business, Hells Angels also had involvement in many criminal activities, much of it stemming from Barger.In 1988, Barger was convicted of conspiracy to kill and explode a rival club. His criminal past also includes drug trafficking and firearm charges.
Despite Barger’s many run-ins with the law, he had a significant impact on biking culture. Barger was single-handedly the public face of bikers–stocky manly denim wearing. He smoked three packs of cigarettes daily for 30 years and at one point was diagnosed with throat cancer in which he had his vocal cords removed so he learned to speak through a surgical tube giving him an intimidating rasp. He was the real-life version of the muscular bearded and tattooed motorcyclists shown in movies and literature. Even at times, being a technical consultant for biker movies and writing books about his amazing action-packed experiences.
Barger died in his home at Livermore, Calif. He lived his last years in the suburbs running a motorcycle repair shop and living a ‘normal’ life. Often doing yoga and lifting weight to stay fit. After all his action packer years, Barger believed that to become a man, “you need to join the army first and then do some time in jail.”Barger’s legacy led and shaped the biker community to what it is today.
Link:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656879308411x864568959391319300/Sonny%20Barger%2C%20biker%20outlaw%20and%20founder%20of%20Hells%20Angels%2C%20dies%20at%2083%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
Barger grew up without a mother. His father worked as a day laborer and often spent his nights at bars, bringing Barger with him. According to his autobiography, it was during this time where he lived off stolen pretzels and eggs, and learned his first cuss words from a parrot. After his troubled teenage years, he joined his first bike club, the Oakland Panthers. The following year, Barger created his own motorcycle club that would become the face of stereotypical bikers.
Over the following years after 1956 , Barger’s motorcycle club, Hells Angels, grew into a successful and stable franchise that stretched from American and Canada to Europe. Its growing members list were all male and virtually all white.
Barger’s abrasive attitude brought successful entrepreneur deals. He constantly promoted and marketed Hells Angel’s T-Shirts, yo-yos, and other commodities. Despite their legitimate business, Hells Angels also had involvement in many criminal activities, much of it stemming from Barger.In 1988, Barger was convicted of conspiracy to kill and explode a rival club. His criminal past also includes drug trafficking and firearm charges.
Despite Barger’s many run-ins with the law, he had a significant impact on biking culture. Barger was single-handedly the public face of bikers–stocky manly denim wearing. He smoked three packs of cigarettes daily for 30 years and at one point was diagnosed with throat cancer in which he had his vocal cords removed so he learned to speak through a surgical tube giving him an intimidating rasp. He was the real-life version of the muscular bearded and tattooed motorcyclists shown in movies and literature. Even at times, being a technical consultant for biker movies and writing books about his amazing action-packed experiences.
Barger died in his home at Livermore, Calif. He lived his last years in the suburbs running a motorcycle repair shop and living a ‘normal’ life. Often doing yoga and lifting weight to stay fit. After all his action packer years, Barger believed that to become a man, “you need to join the army first and then do some time in jail.”Barger’s legacy led and shaped the biker community to what it is today.
Link:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656879308411x864568959391319300/Sonny%20Barger%2C%20biker%20outlaw%20and%20founder%20of%20Hells%20Angels%2C%20dies%20at%2083%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf