Sonny Barger Dies: Hells Angels Founder, ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Actor Was 83
Sonny Barger has died of liver cancer at the age of 83. Barger was the founder of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and appeared as Lenny “The Pimp” Janowitz in three episodes of Sons of Anarchy from 2010-2012. The FX series was inspired by Barger’s motorcycle gang.
The infamous motorcyclist was the face of Hells Angels for years. He announced his own death in a pre-written statement shared on his Facebook page late in the evening on Wednesday, June 29: “If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone. I’ve asked that 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 a public persona for decades, I’ve mostly enjoyed special time with my club brothers, my family, and close friends.
“Please know that I passed peacefully 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. – Sonny, HAMCO.” “HAMCO” is the acronym for Hells Angels Motorcycle Club Oakland.
Barger’s former lawyer, Fritz Clapp, confirmed Barger died peacefully in his home of liver cancer on Wednesday night, per NBC News.
Born Ralph Hubert Barger Jr in Modesto, California, Barger formed Hells Angels in Oakland in 1957. Barger served as a consultant on films about Hells Angels — 1967’s Hell’s Angels on Wheels and 1969’s Hell’s Angels ‘69 — in addition to appearing in them. And he served as an unofficial consultant to Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter during his three-episode stint on the FX series.
The biker was one of the Hells Angels who provided security at the infamous and deadly 1969 Rolling Stones Altamont concert. Several dozen members of the biker gang were paid $500 worth of beer to provide security at the event, at which the Grateful Dead, Santana, the Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, and Nash and Young were also set to perform. But Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin was knocked unconscious by one of the Hells Angels members during a fight that broke out during the free show, and 21-year-old biker Alan Passaro stabbed a gun-wielding 18-year-old named Meredith Hunter to death. He was acquitted after claiming self-defense.
Barger blamed the violence on The Rolling Stones in his autobiography, Hell’s Angel — The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, claiming the Stones delayed the concert from starting, which agitated the massive crowd. The concert’s performances and turmoil are depicted in the 1970 documentary Gimme Shelter.
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