Gonzo Godfather's Blast Rites

August 22, 2005

In a follow-up to Friday’s final bog posting, I’m pleased to report that the late Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes were blasted into the sky on Saturday night, exactly as he wished.�Doc’s ashes were shot from a huge�Gonzo cannon�that had been placed at the top of a mountain-like hill on Thompson’s property at Owl Farm near Woody Creek, CO.

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All of Thompson’s friends, family, former co-workers, lovers and secret admirers that snuck their way into the event, gathered round for a celebration of the late author’s life. Johnny Depp allegedly paid for the $2.5 million soiree including the�cannon’s creation, as well he fired the remains. Sean Penn is reported to have been there, as is Bill Murray, Lyle Lovett and Sen. John Kerry; and, of course, Thompson's�long-time collaborator and illustrator Ralph Steadman. (Initial reports that members of the Black Panthers were also present at Thompson's Owl Farm to cause a "riot" could not be immediately confirmed.)

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Non-celebrity fans were unable to enter. How would Thompson have felt about the celebrity-filled celebration? Eh, tough to say. However, he'd likely have been most pleased with this:

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His ashes were loaded into separate capsules along with explosives and fireworks, then shot out of the 15-story cannon. The cannon was modeled after his logo: a clenched fist, holding a peyote button, rising from the hilt of a dagger. Thompson loved guns and explosives, and his final flight represented that.

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As reported by local news in Colorado: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2960103

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DRB