Hunter Thompson's Final Blast-Off
Bump and Update: More details from Saturday night's blastoff. The New York Times reports:
Jann Wenner, publisher of Rolling Stone, whose early history was entwined with Mr. Thompson's emerging career, said that Mr. Thompson was "the DNA of Rolling Stone" and called him "one of the greatest writers of the 20th century." ... Mr. Wenner recalled his drug-crazed exploits with Mr. Thompson but spoke of his feelings as well, saying at one point that he had been jealous of how close Mr. Depp had become to Mr. Thompson. "Now those days are gone," Mr. Wenner said. "Once I had Hunter all to myself, and now I don't have him at all. And none of us do."
....Mr. Thompson's fans were kept at bay, as were most of the news media, and guests were barred from bringing cellphones, cameras and recording devices. Orange cones marking a tow-away zone extended for three miles beyond Mr. Thompson's home off a narrow strip of rural roadway. Black-clad security guards, aided by a dozen county sheriff's deputies, patrolled the 40-acre property, which Mr. Thompson bought in 1968 for $50,000 and is now worth millions.
Norman Greenbaum's 1969 anthem "Spirit in the Sky" then rose from the sound system, with the lyrics: "When they lay me down to die/ Going on up to the spirit in the sky."....The final send-off began with Japanese ceremonial drummers and Buddhist readings in Tibetan. Then, with a bang that Matt Wood, a Zambelli fireworks designer and producer, described as just below the level of a sonic boom, 34 lines of fireworks streamed from the ground. The whole display lasted less than a minute, after which a recording of Bob Dylan wailed with "Mr. Tambourine Man" ("I'm ready for to fade/Into my own parade"). The partying then commenced, with jam sessions into the wee hours.
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Original Post 8/20 8:50 p.m.
Around 8:30 pm MST tonight, Hunter Thompson's ashes, contained in capsules, were blown from a 153 foot tower with 350 or so of his closest friends in attendance. [Update: Sen. John Kerry and George McGovern were there.] The Rocky Mountain News got a tour of the tent next to the tower on Owl Farm, his Woody Creek, CO property outside of Aspen.
A round bar looms in the tent's center. Above the bar hang five chandeliers. Thompson worked out of his kitchen, and that feel has been recreated on either end of the bar with a refrigerator. A large drum sat atop one refrigerator. The other, unusual mix of items in the tent also mirrored Thompson's kitchen.
Three blow-up sex dolls lay on a set of chairs stacked near the tent's entrance. A stuffed peacock, a bison head, a gong, and a hockey mask were among the other items. Couches and dozens of lounge chairs rounded out the scene.
The tower is the main attraction.
The centerpiece is the 153-foot fist — two feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — near the tent. The structure was still covered in blue and gray tarps blowing in the wind Saturday morning, with a red tarp covering the fist. Around the base of the conical structure were enough fake boulders to fill three semi trucks, said designer Gregg Lacy, who was looking up at the piece he began work on nearly six months earlier.
Near the top of the structure, which features a sculpted red fist holding a peyote button with different colored lights, chrome sections gleamed in the sun. Maybe 200 feet away sat an unassuming, white truck. Inside were the 34 mortar tubes that contain a mix of fireworks, and Thompson's cremated remains.
Lots of people have been wondering what Hunter would have made of all this. Hard to say. Video should be available after the event, and I'll update with links.
Update 9:08 pm: I just saw the blastoff on the local news. It was pretty big, like fireworks. You could hear the cheers go up.
Associated Press: A Deafening Boom.
Update: From the 10:00 pm local news: 8:40 pm, the drapes came off the giant double thumbed fist, a band played, the ashed were fired, it was like fourth of July fireworks. The 400 invited guests are expected to party until the wee hours. There was a great live shot of a round ball of fire still glowing in the air above Aspen.
More articles:
- Aspen Daily News
- Going, Going Gonzo (Denver Post): John Kerry and George McGovern were there.
Hunter is home now. May he rest in peace, he will be both missed and remembered.
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