One of the saddest things in the world is writing obituaries. But to refuse to write it is to disrespect the legend of the biker world, Sonny Barger, the famous founder of the “one percent” Hells Angels motorcycle club . He left us for better worlds on June 29, 2022, at the age of 83, having lost in a bitter struggle to the third cancer that tormented him – cancer of the liver.
In general, if it weren’t for Barger’s phenomenal ability to fight, to overcome negative circumstances and be true to his principles, we probably would never have known about him, since Sonny would have ended his life, like most inhabitants of the social bottom, in a dirty cheap housing in an embrace with a bottle or next to a used syringe from a drug.
Shortly before his death, Barger wrote a spiritual testament. At his request, it was published on the Facebook social network immediately after he died. In his will, he wished his followers:
Do not betray freedom and strive for it with all your might.
Believe in yourself and believe in yourself.
Treasure your honor.
Always keep your head up.
The most common reference about Barger from his fellow Hells Angels is his amazing ability to convince a doubting and insecure person with the power of words and turn his weaknesses into strengths. It is clear that only a person who is absolutely confident in his worldview and the correctness of his actions can do this. And, of course, as life has shown, Sonny was such a person.
What Barger did before he became a biker
He lived in complete and hopeless shit, not really understanding how to get out of it. Sonny was haunted by the feeling of uselessness that he felt in the company of his father and grandmother, therefore, becoming an adult and deciding to found the Hells Angels , Barger wanted first of all to unite bikers on family principles – loyalty and respect for each other.
Since his drunken father and religious grandmother were not interested in him, Sonny realized early on that he either stands up for himself, thinks about himself and defends himself, or simply dies slowly, choking on self-pity and flooding a disgusting and miserable life with alcohol, like his unfortunate dad.
Due to his infancy and inexperience, Barger did not know that some issues could be resolved without the use of violence, in connection with which he used it right and left. Flew and his teacher, who dared to argue with Sonny. Because of this, Barger was kicked out of school without being allowed to finish it. People from the social stratum to which our hero belonged had practically no chance to rise, get a decent education, get a job in the civil service or open a business. And without finishing school, these chances tended to zero.
Barger was well aware of this. He also realized that without a certificate he would vegetate in a low-paid job, like his father. Therefore, without thinking twice, he falsified a birth certificate, attributing to himself a few extra years, intending to go to the army. The false certificate helped, and for 14 months Sonny was blissed out in the army from the orders adopted in it. But the tale did not last forever, Barger was caught on a fake and returned to his native Auckland.
And then he caught the eye of “The Savage” – a cult biker film of the 50s. Sonny became eager to join the bikers and headed to the local motorcycle club, the Oakland Panthers.
Barger’s main legacy is the Hells Angels Bike Club
When Sonny came to the decision that he needed his own motorcycle club, he did not think about his future greatness and his role in the history of the biker movement. The Oakland Panthers pissed him off because the bikers there weren’t the right bikers in his mind. The Oakland Panthers were just a weekend club, and Sonny didn’t like that. He wanted a second family, reliable like-minded people who shared his fanatical love of bikes, and did not want to be surrounded by office clerks who enjoyed riding bikes on weekends.
So April 1, 1957, without knowing it, became a historic day, namely, the founding day of the Hells Angels club.
The values that Barger planted in the Hells Angels have become a role model for many motorcycle clubs:
Standing up for each other in all situations.
Well-defined hierarchical structure.
Absent from the general meeting – get an impressive fine.
In order to prevent potential conflicts, a ban was established for members of the Hells Angels to encroach (rape, molest, flirt, try to take away) the women of other members of the Hells Angels.
Interested in joining the Hells Angels ? Splurge on a Harley.
No fights and showdowns between bikers from Hells Angels .
By the end of the 50s, uniting many motorcycle clubs throughout California, Sonny felt his strength and began to swagger to the fullest, demonstrating his criminal inclinations, learned in a dysfunctional childhood. Barger felt so confident that he dared publicly confess to crimes, such as making a death threat against a member of the rock band the Rolling Stones . It was in December 1969 at a Rolling Stones concert, which was guarded by the Hells Angels. When the fans began to buzz and riot, Sonny, without thinking twice, pointed his weapon at the closest rocker from the Rolling Stones to him.and in a tone that brooked no objection, ordered him to continue his speech, despite the danger to life. As it turned out later, Barger was protected by Senator Campbell of Colorado, so Sonny spent time behind bars only twice in his life.
Sonny Barger lived not by single tales
And he sometimes acted in films, where he had roles even with lines. We are talking primarily about “Hell’s Angels 69”, where you can see the young Sonny, as well as the best biker series “Sons of Anarchy”, in which the elderly and hardened Barger can be seen in seasons 4-5, namely, in the final episodes.
Surprisingly, the reckless Sonny was in conflict with motorcycle factories due to the fact that the owners of motorcycle factories put a lot of emphasis on the safety of bikers. All in all, modern bikers can thank Barger for making their bikes safer and more life-saving than the old bikes of the 50s and 60s.
