- Sonny Barger
Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger (born
October 8 ,1938 inModesto, California ) is a founding member (1957) of the Oakland,California , U.S. chapter ofHells Angels .Barger was one of the Hells Angels present at the
The Rolling Stones 'Altamont Free Concert in 1969. He is also famous for his appearance inHunter S. Thompson 's widely read account of life within the club, "."Barger and the Hells Angels made international headlines when a small group disrupted hundreds of anti-war protestors in Berkeley, California in 1965.
Sonny Barger is also the author of four books: "Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club", "Freedom: Credos from the Road", "Dead in 5 Heartbeats" and "6 Chambers, 1 Bullet". He was editor for the book "Ridin' High, Livin' Free". Barger has appeared as an extra in the films "
Hells Angels on Wheels " and "Hell's Angels '69 ".In 1983, Barger was diagnosed with throat cancer, caused by years of heavy
smoking . As a result, hisvocal cords were removed, and after alaryngectomy he has learned to vocalize using the muscles in his throat.In 1988, Barger was sentenced for conspiring to blow up the clubhouse of a rival motorcycle club, the Outlaws in
Louisville, Kentucky , and spent 4 years infederal prison inArizona .As of 2007, Barger is still an active member of the Hells Angels in the
Cave Creek Chapter (Phoenix, Arizona ), having moved there from Oakland in 1998. He is reported to have owned 10 to 12 motorcycles throughout his life. [Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club | title="Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club"]References
Further reading
* Ralph "Sonny" Barger, "Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club". Morrow, William & Co., May 2000 (ISBN 0-688-17693-3); reissued in paperback, HarperCollins Publishers, October 2001 (ISBN 0-06-093754-8)
External links
* [http://www.sonnybarger.com Sonny Barger homepage]
* [http://www.doney.net/aroundaz/celebrity/barger_sonny.htm Brief biography]
* [http://images.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/barger/ "Hell's Angel" audio interview]
* [http://www.wweek.com/html/Q&A082300.html The Original Angel: Sonny Barger]
* [http://www.hells-angels.com/ Hells Angels website]
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