Sonny Barger

Sonny Barger was an American outlaw biker who helped establish the Oakland, California, chapter of the Hells Angels in 1957 and became its president the following year. Born in Modesto and raised in Oakland, he emerged as the club's most prominent member during the counterculture era, though he denied that he led the Hells Angels or that Oakland served as its headquarters. He worked behind the scenes on outlaw biker movies, starting with The Wild Angels (1966), a Roger Corman film, and appeared as himself in Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) and Hell's Angels '69 (1969), the latter giving him a speaking part. He also appeared in the documentary Gimme Shelter (1970), about the Rolling Stones' Altamont Free Concert, gave television interviews, and authored five books, including his 2000 autobiography.