Barger, Ralph "Sonny" 1938–

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Barger, Ralph "Sonny" 1938–

(Ralph Hubert Barger, Jr., Sonny Barger)

PERSONAL:

Born October 8, 1938 in Modesto, CA; married first wife, Elsie (marriage dissolved); married; wife's name Sharon; children: one daughter (adopted).

ADDRESSES:

Home—Phoenix, AZ. Office—Sonny Barger Productions, 515 E. Carefree Hwy., PMB 370, Phoenix, AZ 85085.

CAREER:

Master mechanic in Phoenix, AZ; technical consultant for biker films. Appeared in films Hell's Angels '69, Hell's Angels Forever, Gimme Shelter, and Hell's Angels on Wheels. Military service: U.S. Army, 1955.

MEMBER:

Hell's Angels (Cave Creek Chapter, Phoenix, AZ).

WRITINGS:

Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club (autobiography), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Keith and Kent Zimmerman) Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-raising Motorcycle Stories (nonfiction), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2002.

Freedom: Credos from the Road (nonfiction), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2005.

NOVELS

(With Keith Zimmerman and Kent Zimmerman) Dead in 5 Heartbeats (novel), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Keith Zimmerman and Kent Zimmerman) 6 Chambers, 1 Bullet (novel), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Ralph "Sonny" Barger has been a member of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club since 1957, when he formed the organization's Oakland, California, chapter. He has also served as a technical consultant for films about the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, including Hell's Angels on Wheels and Hell's Angels '69.

Barger's book Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club details his life and experiences with the notorious club. He gives details on the history and evolution of the Hell's Angels, stories about their run-ins with the law, and numerous other experiences they have encountered. "Barger paints an engrossing picture of a distinctive subculture that receives precious little literary attention," noted Mike Tribby in a Booklist review. Library Journal contributor Tim Delany described the work as an "intriguing and insightful look into the highly controversial, five-decade-old Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club."

Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-raising Motorcycle Stories contains thirty-eight stories Barger collected and revised from other Hell's Angels members. Included are stories about fellow bikers such as musician David Crosby, member of Crosby, Stills and Nash; country singer Merle Haggard, and actor Steve McQueen. "The book works best when describing the simple pleasure of cruising through the American landscape at sunrise," concluded a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

Barger collaborated with Keith and Kent Zimmerman to write the novels Dead in 5 Heartbeats and 6 Chambers, 1 Bullet. These books incorporate Barger's intimate knowledge of biker life into suspenseful plots. In Dead in 5 Heartbeats, a high-ranking member of the Infidelz motorcycle club is murdered, and his gang, led by Patch Kinkade, sets out to avenge his death. Reviewing for Booklist, Wes Lukowsky found the novel lacking in nuance but filled with "lots of testosterone" and plenty of "kicks to the groin." A Publishers Weekly reviewer also found that the mystery "falls flat," but added that nevertheless, "Barger's fans should love it." Kinkade's adventures continue in the sequel, 6 Chambers, 1 Bullet, a story that finds the bikers' leader breaking into prison in order to solve the execution-style murders of some of his gang brothers.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Barger, Ralph "Sonny," Freedom: Credos from the Road, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2005.

Barger, Ralph "Sonny," Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2000.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 15, 2000, Mike Tribby, review of Hell's Angel, p. 1698; September 15, 2003, Wes Lukowsky, review of Dead in 5 Heartbeats, p. 213.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2003, review of Dead in 5 Heartbeats, p. 1029.

Library Journal, June 15, 2000, Tim Delaney, review of Hell's Angel, p. 101.

New York Times, July 3, 1980, Wayne King, "Mistrial Declared in Eight-Month Hell's Angels Trial," p. A12; August 8, 1980, Wayne King, "Barger Case over, Other Hell's Angels Face Retrial," p. A13.

Publishers Weekly, April 15, 2002, review of Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-raising Motorcycle Stories, p. 57; August 4, 2003, review of Dead in 5 Heartbeats, p. 52.