Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger (born October 8,1938 in Modesto, California) is a founding member in 1957 of the Oakland, California, U.S. chapter of Hells Angels. Barger was one of the Hells Angels at the The Rolling Stones' Altamont Free Concert in 1969. He is also famed for his appearance in Hunter S. Thompson's widely-read account of life within the club, Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. 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, which resulted in having his vocal cords removed and subsequently being able to speak only through using a voice device. In 1988, Barger was sentenced for conspiring to blow up the clubhouse of rival motorcycle club the Outlaws and spent 4 years in federal prison, in Arizona. 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, and currently rides a Harley Davidson.[1]
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)
