With a deafening boom, the ashes of Hunter S. Thompson were blown into the sky from a 47m tower as relatives and a star-studded crowd bid an irreverent farewell to the founder of "gonzo journalism."
As the ashes erupted from the tower, red, white, blue and green fireworks lit up the sky late Saturday over Thompson's home for nearly 10 minutes as the crowd cheered. The actual blasts with the ashes took about 30 seconds.
"I'll always remember where I was when Hunter was blown into the heavens," Thompson's neighbor Rita Sherman said.
The 15-story tower, shrouded by tarps for days, was modeled after Thompson's logo: a clenched fist, made symmetrical with two thumbs, rising from the hilt of a dagger. It was built between his home and a tree-covered canyon wall, not far from a tent filled with merrymakers.
"He loved explosions," his wife, Anita Thompson, said.
The private celebration included luminaries such as actors Bill Murray and Johnny Depp, who Anita Thompson said funded much of the celebration. The scene at the Owl Farm compound outside Aspen also included blowup dolls, bands and plenty of liquor to honor Thompson, who killed himself six months ago at the age of 67.
Security guards kept reporters and the public away from the compound as the 250 invited guests arrived, but Thompson's fans scouted the surrounding hills for the best view of the celebration.
"We just threw a gallon of Wild Turkey in the back and headed west," said Kevin Coy of Chester, West Virginia, who drove more than 2,414km with a friend in hopes of seeing the celebration. "We came to pay our respects."
Thompson fatally shot himself in his kitchen on Feb. 20, apparently despondent over declining health.
The memorial, however, was planned as a party, with readings and scheduled performances by singer Lyle Lovett as well as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
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