Hunter Stockton Thompson was born July 18, 1937, in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Louisville Male High School and led a fairly normal life until the untimely death of his father in 1952. Thompson was only fourteen years old. His mother, Virginia, was left to raise the family consisting of three boys. She worked as a librarian, but times were understandably tough, and she eventually turned to alcohol. Thompson himself is rumored to have become an alcoholic by the time he was only sixteen years old.
Alcohol quickly led to crime, which resulted in a 1956 detainment for robbery. As part of his probation, he joined the U.S. Air Force. Working in information services at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Thompson gravitated toward the base newspaper, The Command Courier. He split his time between sports editor and contributing writer for several other local newspapers.
In true Thompson style, it was said of him "this airman, although talented will not be guided by policy." He was honorably discharged in 1958.
Shortly after, Thompson relocated to New York City where he attended Columbia University on the GI Bill. Not surprisingly, he studied short story writing. He began contributing to Time magazine but was eventually fired for insubordination. Moving on to the Middletown Daily Record, Thompson found himself fired yet again for damaging a candy machine and involving himself in arguments with one of the paper’s advertisers.
By 1960, Thompson relocated again to San Juan, Puerto Rico. He continued to fund his travels through freelance journalism. He also wrote two novels, Prince Jellyfish and The Rum Diary, but both were poorly received. (The Rum Diary was published in 1998, only after Thompson had already found fame. It is slated to be a film starring Johnny Depp in 2008.)
Thompson eventually found himself in Aspen, Colorado, and married to his girlfriend of two years Sandra Dawn Conklin. They had one son together and bore the tragedy of five lost children. Three were lost to miscarriage, and two were carried full-term but died within hours. The couple was married for seventeen years (and together for nineteen) before they divorced. They did, however, remain close friends.
During the 60s, Thompson immersed himself heavily in the drug and hippie culture of San Francisco. Yet he still managed to write one of his most well-received novels at this time. Hells Angels was published in 1966 after a year of living and riding with the group. Shortly after, he moved back to Aspen where he would stay the rest of his life.
In 1970, Thompson even entered politics. Running on the Freak Power ticket, he attempted to win the spot as Pitkin County sheriff. Despite being somewhat of a lark, he just narrowly lost.
Thompson’s next career move was earning a permanent spot at Rolling Stone. Expanding their scope past music, Thompson’s most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was first serialized in this magazine.
The year 1970 also brought the birth of gonzo journalism, which is considered an unclear blending of fiction and nonfiction. By 1980, Thompson had achieved enough notoriety and success to spawn the film loosely based on his experiences, Where The Buffalo Roam. Despite starring Bill Murray, it was only moderately received.
The rest of his life was dedicated to various newspapers, magazines, and journals, which culminated in the four book series The Gonzo Papers. But many critics noted a steep decline in his writing style after 1980.
However, 1998 brought the release of the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, starring Johnny Depp, Benicio Del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Ellen Barkin, Gary Busey, Christina Ricci, and Cameron Diaz. Thompson was once again in the spotlight.
Despite a new marriage in 2003 to assistant Anita Bejmuk, he could not escape his demons. On February 20, 2005, Thompson committed suicide by a gunshot to the head. He was only sixty-seven years old.
Thompson’s last request was for his ashes to be fired from a canon across his estate. Personal friend Johnny Depp financed the wish. Celebrities in attendance included Bill Murray, John Kerry, Sean Penn, Josh Hartnett, Lyle Lovett, and of course, Johnny Depp.
YUDDY
