Sonny Barger

Lore & Background

Sonny Barger was born in Modesto, California, on October 8, 1938. His mother left when he was four months old, and he was raised by his Pentecostal grandmother and alcoholic father. He dropped out of school in the tenth grade, enlisted in the U.S. Army at age sixteen in 1955, and received an honorable discharge fourteen months later after it was discovered he had forged his birth certificate. After his return, he drifted between menial jobs.

In 1956, Barger joined the Oakland Panthers, a motorcycle club he founded with fellow military veterans. After that club disbanded, he helped found the Oakland Hells Angels on April 1, 1957, wearing a replica of a patch from a defunct Nomads chapter. He became president of the Oakland chapter in 1958 and was instrumental in unifying various Hells Angels charters, having the club incorporated in 1966. Under his leadership, the club's membership increased, and he introduced rules including a male-only membership in 1964.

Barger served a total of 13 years in prison: a 1974 conviction for heroin trafficking and a 1988 conviction for conspiracy to bomb the clubhouse of a rival motorcycle club, the Outlaws. He was acquitted of murder in 1972 and of racketeering in 1980. He authored five books and appeared on television and in film.

Reader's Guide

Sonny Barger's significance lies in his role as the most visible and influential member of the Hells Angels during the counterculture era, despite not being the club's founder. He was instrumental in unifying disparate charters and establishing the Oakland chapter as a dominant force. Hunter S. Thompson called him "the Maximum Leader" of the Hells Angels, and Philip Martin of the Phoenix New Times described him as "the archetypical Hells Angel," noting that he "didn't found the motorcycle club ... but he constructed the myth." Barger repeatedly denied allegations that he was the club's international president or that the Hells Angels were an organized crime syndicate, maintaining that the club should not be held accountable for crimes committed by individual members. His legacy is intertwined with the public image of outlaw biker culture, shaped by his own writings, media appearances, and the controversies surrounding his criminal record.

Did You Know?

• Barger was acquitted of murder in 1972 and of racketeering in 1980.
• He served 13 years in prison for heroin trafficking and conspiracy to bomb a rival clubhouse.
• Hunter S. Thompson called Barger 'the Maximum Leader' of the Hells Angels.
• Barger imposed a rule in 1964 making the Hells Angels male-only.